On Shaky Ground
by Natz Cabansay
Summary: As Serena reunites with Ash in Alola and meets his friends, the earth has other plans. Rated for sensitive themes (natural disaster) and depictions of injury.
1. Arrival in Alola

**Chapter 1: Arrival in Alola**

* * *

**Saturday, June 15, 06:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Professor Kukui's House, Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

It's another fine morning in Alola, but this was no ordinary morning for Ash. "Beep beep! Beep beep! Rise and shine, Ash! Do you know what today is?" his trusty Rotom Pokédex, aka Rotom, chimed to wake Ash up.

As Ash and Pikachu woke up and yawned, he looked at the calendar. "Serena's arriving today!" Ash, now excited, shouted, "I can't wait to see her again." After a good shower, he headed off to the dining room for breakfast, where Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet were already waiting. He then called out all his Pokémon, starting with Lycanroc, then Torracat, then Rowlet and finally Meltan.

**06:25 AST**

"Alola, Professors! Good morning," Ash greeted the professors. "Good morning, Ash" the two replied. "I see you're excited for your friend's arrival in Alola," Professor Kukui stated. "She's a very good friend of mine," Ash replied.

"We've heard a lot of stories about her, but this is the first time we get to see her in person," Professor Burnet replied. "The best part was the end though, right before you came to Alola, where she gave you a 'special gift', " Professor Burnet teased.

"Right, a-about that..." Ash stammered, "Lumiose Interregional Airport... was where I received my first kiss". "First kiss? You mean Ash has been in a relationship?" Rotom questioned. "Not quite, Rotom," Ash answered.

"But you do not want Lillie, Lana, or Mallow to hear about this," Ash added. Professors Kukui and Burnet looked in confusion. "I wouldn't even tell Sophocles, Kiawe, or Lana's little sisters", Ash continued, "They'd never let me hear the end of it, and who knows what's gonna happen when the girls hear this."

**06:45 AST**

As the three finished their breakfast, Ash recalled Lycanroc and Torracat and prepared to leave for the airport placing Rowlet and Meltan in the place they preferred to rest in, or rather, his backpack. Professor Kukui also prepared to leave for the airport.

"Professor Burnet, we'll be off to the airport!" Ash stated as he, Pikachu and Professor Kukui were out the door. "Take care, you two!" Professor Burnet replied from inside the kitchen. The two and Pikachu later went off to the airport.

**07:15 AST  
****Melemele Interregional Airport, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

"I'm so curious right now. What is she like?" Lana asked her friends.

"Hope she's as pretty as Lillie!" Mallow spoke.

"Thanks, Mallow!" Lillie squealed, blushing, "Now, Ash said she's a Pokémon Performer hailing from Kalos and his childhood friend." she added. "Pokémon Performer?" Lana and Mallow asked. "A Pokémon Performer, from what Ash said, is a female trainer who performs dance routines on stage along with her Pokémon," Lillie answered.

"More importantly, she seems to be Ash's type. I've always noticed him blushing while talking or even thinking about her." Sophocles stated. "Uh, I think he does the same when thinking about Lillie, Lana, or Mallow." Kiawe whispered to his chubby friend.

"Kiawe, did you say something?" Mallow questioned the dark-skinned trainer. "Ah, gee, Ash knows how to get the ladies wherever he goes, huh?" Kiawe chuckled, attempting to change the subject and failing spectacularly. "More like the ladies know how to get him," Sophocles laughed.

"Oh yeah, I remember when we went shopping, and Sophocles and I left early. While I was on Charizard, I saw Ash getting dragged by Mallow, Lillie and Lana." Kiawe added. Lana, blushing and remembering that time, then credited Mallow for the "idea".

"I also remember when we were helping out at the Pokémon Center, when we didn't find any male uniforms." Sophocles laughed. Lana again credited Mallow for the idea. Mallow then blushed intensely at her blue-haired friend's statements.

**07:30 AST**

Just then, Ash, Professor Kukui, Pikachu and Rotom arrived. "Alola, class!" Professor Kukui shouted. "Alola, Professor, Ash!" the five replied.

"Since we've still got 30 minutes, what should we do?" Ash asked his classmates. They all thought to themselves, but were left with no choice but to speculate.

"Ash, what type of Pokémon does she train?" Lillie asked her raven-haired friend. "She prefers cute-looking Pokémon. I could still remember her Fire-type Braixen, her Fighting-type Pancham, and her Fairy-type Sylveon which evolved from an Eevee," Ash responded.

"Wow, a Sylveon?!" cried Lana and Sandy, her Eevee. "Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokémon and an evolved form of Eevee. A Fairy-type. Sylveon affectionately wraps its ribbon-like feelers around its Trainer's arm as they walk together." Rotom responded instantly. "Thanks for the info, Rotom" Ash replied. The group chatted while waiting.

**07:55 AST**

"5 minutes until her flight arrives" said Rotom. "Alright! Let's go and meet Serena!" screamed Ash excitedly, with his buddy Pikachu screaming with the same excitement. Professor Kukui decided to leave and return home as he had to assist Professor Burnet in the house chores.

**08:00 AST  
****Terminal 1, Melemele Interregional Airport, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Sure enough, the plane landed. The six eagerly waited for Ash's friend to disembark.

**08:10 AST**

"(Ash! There she is!)" Pikachu squeaked. The six looked at a girl with short, honey-blonde hair wearing the same clothing she wore in the second half of her journey with Ash.

"Serena!" Ash called out to his honey-blonde-haired friend. "Ash! There you are!" Serena came running. "Great to see you again!" Ash exclaimed as the two shared an embrace upon reuniting, along with Pikachu scurrying over to her shoulder. "Great to see you too, Pikachu!" Serena exclaimed.

"Whoa, a Pokédex that can talk by itself?" Serena stared in surprise at Rotom, who was nearby. "Yep! I am Rotom Pokédex, the greatest Pokédex you've ever seen. You can simply call me Rotom." said Rotom as he introduced himself to Serena.

**08:15 AST**

"So that's Ash's friend." said Sophocles. "She is beautiful, just as Ash described her!" exclaimed Lillie in awe. Lana and Mallow nodded in agreement. "Serena, my other friends are waiting nearby." Ash stated, eager to introduce his Alolan classmates to her. After a while, Serena and Ash walked over to where the other five were. The five, noticing Ash and Serena, screamed out "Alola!". Serena, unaccustomed to Alola, asked Ash what that meant. "Alola is a form of greeting, a way of saying 'hello' in the Alola region." Ash replied. "Oh, uh...Alola!" Serena replied to the five.

"Hi guys!" Ash screamed out to the five, "This is Serena, a Pokémon Performer and a very good friend of mine." Serena being called just a "very good friend" made her heart sink a little, but this was not enough to wipe the smile off her face.

"Alola! I'm Kiawe, a Fire-type trainer from Akala Island, home to Paniola Ranch, where I live. My ranch is famous for Moomoo Milk production." Kiawe advertised as he introduced himself.

"I'm Sophocles, the group's techie from Hau'oli City, where malasadas are famous." Sophocles introduced. Serena couldn't help but be reminded of Clemont, another travelling companion from Kalos and the Lumiose City Gym Leader, who was quite the tinkerer.

"I'm Mallow, also from Hau'oli City, and from the famous Aina's Kitchen." Mallow doing the same thing as Kiawe.

"I'm Lana, also from Hau'oli City, where the coast and the sea are most beautiful." Lana timidly spoke.

"Hello Serena, I'm Lillie, also from Hau'oli city and also a very good friend of Ash. He has told us quite a lot about you." Lillie said as she introduced herself.

"I'm Serena, a Pokémon Performer from Kalos. Ash has told me a lot of stories about you guys." Serena introduced herself to the group.

**08:22 AST**

Not long after, Serena decided to send out her three Pokémon: Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon. "Wow, so this is a Sylveon!" exclaimed Lana. Sandy ran towards Sylveon, and Sylveon patted him on the head with her feelers.

Rotom decided to scan each of her Pokémon. "Braixen, the Fox Pokémon. A Fire type. Braixen uses friction to ignite the twig from its tail before a battle." Rotom reported as it scanned Braixen. "Whoa, a Fire type? This ought to be good." Kiawe exclaimed.

"Pancham, the Playful Pokémon. A Fighting type. Though it tries to look tough, Pancham has trouble being taken seriously by opponents." as Rotom scanned Pancham. "It's so cute!" Mallow squealed.

"Now that Serena's introduced her Pokémon, it's time to introduce ours!" Ash exclaimed.

**08:27 AST**

Kiawe initiated the introduction calling out Turtonator, along with introducing his Marowak and ride Charizard.

"Turtonator, the Blast Turtle Pokémon. A Fire and Dragon type. The shell on Turtonator's back is chemically unstable and explodes violently if struck. The hole in its stomach is its weak point." reported Serena's Pokédex as she scanned Turtonator.

After scanning Kiawe's Charizard, "Charizard, the Flame Pokémon. A Fire and Flying type. Charizard's powerful flame can melt absolutely anything."

"Marowak, Alola Form, the Bone Keeper Pokémon. A Fire and Ghost type. The bone Marowak holds is precious to it and its greatest weapon. It uses the bone as a torch to unleash its attack." reported Serena's Pokédex as she scanned Marowak.

"Alola Form?" Serena asked. "Kiawe's Marowak is different from a Marowak you could find elsewhere, which is a Ground type." Lillie answered.

Marowak soon performed a flaming bone dance, impressing Serena.

**08:32 AST**

Next to introduce their Pokémon was Sophocles and his Togedemaru and Vikavolt. As Serena looked at Togedemaru, she couldn't help but be reminded of Dedenne, which Clemont had caught for Bonnie.

"Vikavolt, the Stag Beetle Pokémon. A Bug and Electric type. Vikavolt flies around, waiting to attack. With its large jaws, it fires gathered electrical energy at its opponent." as Serena scanned Vikavolt.

"Togedemaru, the Roly-Poly Pokémon. An Electric and Steel type. Its ability to generate electricity is weak, but its long needle acts as a lightning rod, so it can attract lightning and store the electricity. When happy, it forms a ball and rolls around. But once it starts rolling, it can't control itself." as Serena scanned Togedemaru.

**08:34 AST**

Next up was Lana, who introduced her Primarina and Sandy, her Eevee.

"Primarina, the Soloist Pokémon. A Water and Fairy type. It controls the balloons that it makes by singing melodies passed down from generation to generation." reported her Pokédex. Primarina then performed a song and made balloons in all sorts of colors and sizes, amusing Serena.

**08:39 AST**

Next to introduce was Mallow, who introduced her Tsareena and the Shaymin she was taking care of since finding it on Poni Island.

"Tsareena, the Fruit Pokémon. A Grass type. Because of its strong legs, Tsareena's kicking moves are powerful. It steps on defeated opponents to accentuate its wins." as Tsareena was scanned.

"Shaymin, the Gratitude Pokémon. A Grass type. When it rolls itself up, it looks like a flower. During the season when Gracidea flowers bloom, Shaymin changes Forme and takes flight to show its gratitude." after scanning Shaymin.

**08:42 AST**

Next up was Lillie, who only had Snowy, her Alolan Vulpix.

"Vulpix, Alola Form, the Fox Pokémon. An Ice type. Vulpix is covered in white fur and was discovered on Mount Lanakila. Its breath can reach a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius below zero, freezing anything it touches." Serena's Pokédex reported as she scanned Snowy.

**08:43 AST**

Finally, Ash introduced the Pokémon he caught in Alola: Rowlet, then Lycanroc, then Torracat, and finally Meltan.

"Rowlet, the Grass Quill Pokémon. A Grass and Flying type. It stores energy during the day from photosynthesis. It swoops down without making a sound and unleashes a powerful kick without being noticed." as Serena scanned Rowlet.

"Lycanroc, Dusk Form, the Wolf Pokémon. A Rock type. Bathed in the setting sun of evening, Lycanroc has undergone a special kind of evolution. An intense fighting spirit underlies its calmness. It's very rare in Alola" after scanning Lycanroc. "Yep, the first of its kind" replied Ash.

"Torracat, the Fire Cat Pokémon. A Fire type. When Torracat spits fire, the fiery bell at its throat makes a high-pitched ringing sound." upon scanning Torracat.

"Meltan, the Hex Nut Pokémon. A Steel type. It melts particles of iron and other metals so it can absorb them into its body of molten steel." after scanning Meltan.

Soon, the six Trainers took the time to let their Pokémon get acquainted with Serena's Pokémon.

This culminated in a performance improvised by Serena's Braixen, Kiawe's Marowak, and Lana's Primarina.

**09:00 AST  
****Melemele Interregional Airport, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Now that you're here, Serena, why don't we show you around Alola." Ash began his introduction of the Alola region. "Alola has five islands, four natural and one artificial: Melemele, Akala, Ula'ula, and Poni Islands are the natural islands and Aether Paradise is an artificial island that takes care of Pokémon." Ash continued.

"Right now, we're on Melemele Island." Ash leading the group outside the airport. "So, Serena, where to first?" Ash asked his honey-blonde haired friend. "Hmm, Kiawe's farm sounds like a good choice." Serena responded. "Great!" Ash and Kiawe chimed in unison. "Off to the Ride Charizard!" Kiawe sprinted, leading the group.


	2. Visiting Each House

**Chapter 2: Visiting Each House**

* * *

**Saturday, June 15, 09:12 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Paniola Ranch, Paniola Town, Akala Island, Alola**

"Well, here we are! Welcome to Paniola Ranch! A famous producer of Moomoo Milk!" Kiawe exclaimed as they got to Paniola Ranch. "Big brother!" Mimo, Kiawe's little sister, cried out. Mimo then proceeded to hand the group a cone of ice cream each.

"Mmm! This is good!" Serena exclaimed. "You think so?" Mimo asked the honey-blonde. "Yes! You're Kiawe's little sister aren't you?" Serena asked the smaller girl, seemingly reminding her of another younger girl, Bonnie, that was Clemont's younger sister. "Yes!" Mimo replied.

Soon after finishing their ice cream, the group helped Kiawe and Mimo in the farm chores. An hour passed, and everyone had finished.

They then got back to their ride Charizard and went back to Melemele Island.

**10:42 AST  
****Sophocles's House, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Soon enough, everyone got to Sophocles's house and snacked on homemade malasadas.

Sophocles then began showing Serena his inventions. Serena was a bit concerned that it would turn out like Clemont's, whose inventions were known to explode after a few seconds or minutes.

"Wow! Science is so amazing!" Ash and Serena both exclaimed. "Well, yeah..." Sophocles spoke timidly.

"Sophocles kind of reminds me of Clemont" she told Ash. "That's what I thought when I first visited here" Ash replied.

After about an hour of showing them around, they then decided to head off to Aina's Kitchen.

**12:13 AST  
****Aina's Kitchen, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Well, here we are! Welcome to Aina's Kitchen! Famous for its Alolan Mythical Stew!" Mallow advertised. "Have a seat!" Mallow invited her friends and guest. "One Alolan Mythical Stew for seven on the house." Mallow stated as she headed to the kitchen.

**12:30 AST**

"This is it, guys! Our Alolan Mythical Stew!" announced Mallow as she exited the kitchen carrying a large pot. "Alright! Lycanroc! Torracat! Rowlet! Meltan! Come on out!" shouted Ash as he called out his Pokémon. "Turtonator! You too!" Kiawe exclaimed, calling Turtonator out from his Pokéball. "Pancham! Braixen! Sylveon! You too!" Serena exclaimed as she called out her Pokémon.

Not long after, the group dug into the stew and were filled.

After about an hour and a half of conversation, they decided to visit Lana next.

**14:11 AST  
****Lana's House, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Here we are!" Lana announced. As she opened the door, her twin younger sisters named Harper and Sarah, who were about the same age as Mimo, came running.

"Big sister's home!" announced Harper as she ran to the door. "And so are big brother Kiawe, big brother Sophocles, big sister Mallow, big sister Lillie and big brother Ash!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Alola! Harper, Sarah!" Ash greeted the twins. The twins, looking at Serena, then asked Ash "Big brother Ash, is she your girlfriend?". Both Ash and Serena blushed at the twins' question, but unlike Lana when she was asked the same question, the two gave no answer. "Who do you like, big brother? Big sister Mallow? Big sister Lana? Big sister Lillie? or her?" Sarah asked Ash. Mallow and Lillie reacted similarly to Ash and Serena at the twins' second question.

"Harper! Sarah! Don't tease Ash like that!" Lana scolded the twins. "That must mean you're jealous, big sister?" Harper responded. This caused Lana to blush and scream out "I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!". "Are you sure you're not jealous?" The twins countered. "I'm really, really, really sure!" Lana replied. Kiawe and Sophocles were laughing their heads off at what was happening.

Now Ash, who had travelled across six regions before Alola, had travelled with many different friends, both male and female. Unbeknown to Ash, most, if not all, of his female friends have developed some sort of a crush on him.

Unfortunately for the girls, he was a Psyduck at best and a Slowpoke at worst when it comes to romance. Serena was the only one thus far out of all of Ash's female friends to have confessed to him, even kissing him back at Lumiose Interregional Airport.

The silence went on for about ten minutes.

**14:21 AST**

"Excuse us, lovebirds!" Sophocles interjected as he and Kiawe made themselves comfortable in Lana's living room.

"Oh, right!" Ash broke the silence and rushed into the living room along with the girls.

Sophocles and Kiawe again laughed their heads off at the frenzy that was Ash and the girls rushing into the living room.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting!" Lana apologized to the two boys.

"Ash, you were so close, man." Sophocles and Kiawe said to themselves.

"Ash, were those two little girls Lana's little sisters?" Serena asked Ash. "Yep, and those two have apparently considered me their new big brother now," Ash replied.

"Sorry for my sisters' behavior. They react that way when someone unfamiliar to them is with me, and they've started this with Ash as well." Lana apologized to Ash and Serena. "No need to apologize, Lana. Those two kind of remind me of someone." Serena stated. "Oh yeah, Bonnie, Clemont's little sister." Ash responded to his honey-blonde friend's words.

Harper and Sarah then entered the living room. "Hello Harper, Sarah!" Serena greeted the twins. "I'm Serena, a Pokémon Performer from Kalos." as she introduced herself to the twins. "We saw you on TV before! You're so cute in person!" the twins simultaneously chimed. This led to a giggle from Serena.

Lana then showed them around her house and the place where her Lapras was parked, explaining that around these parts were lots of Water types.

They then decided Lillie's estate to be the last visit.

**15:00 AST  
****Lillie's Estate, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Whoa! So this is your place Lillie?" Serena asked, as this was her first time entering the place. "Uh huh!" Lillie answered.

Now the seven were met at the front door by Hobbes, Lillie's butler. "Miss Lillie! Miss Mallow! Miss Lana! Master Ash! Welcome!" Hobbes greeted. "I see Sir Kiawe and Sir Sophocles have come too." Hobbes added. "And she is?" Hobbes then asked, looking at Serena. "I'm Serena, from Kalos" Serena introduced herself to Lillie's butler. "Well then... Welcome, Miss Serena!" Hobbes then greeted.

Lillie then showed Serena around her estate, with help from Ash and Mallow, who had gotten quite familiar with the place. She awed at both the greenery and the waterfall at the gate.. She was then shown around the house. She awed at its size, and then at seeing a Pokémon playground that was large enough to accommodate a lot of wild Pokémon. "Wait till you get to her room," Ash told her. Soon enough, the seven entered Lillie's room and Serena awed at the size and the library. "Come, let's head to the balcony" Lillie called out to the group. As they got out into the balcony, they awed at the marvellous view in front of them.

"So, what do you think?" Ash asked Serena. "It's great here!" Serena replied.

"Now, the final destination is Professor Kukui's house, where I'm staying." Ash announced to Serena, only for his stomach to grumble. "But not without a snack." Ash laughed sheepishly.

Soon after, they had a snack and went back to their homes. Ash and Serena then headed to Professor Kukui's house.


	3. Back at Kukui's

**Chapter 3: Back at Kukui's**

* * *

**Saturday, June 15, 17:39 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Professor Kukui's House, Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Well, here we are!" Ash announced as the two got to Professor Kukui's house. "This is where I'm staying while I'm in Alola." Ash continued.

"Professor Kukui, Professor Burnet, we're home!" said Ash as he and Serena entered.

"Oh Ash, you're back!" Professor Kukui opened the door for Ash and Serena. "And you must be Serena. I'm Professor Kukui, the teacher at the Pokémon School." as he introduced himself to Serena. Serena nodded in agreement. "Come on in!" as Professor Kukui invited his new guest to the living room.

Soon after, Serena made herself comfortable in Professor Kukui's living room. Not long after, Professor Burnet entered.

"Oh, so you're Serena." said Professor Burnet as she looked at Serena. Again, Serena nodded in agreement. "I'm Professor Burnet, a member of Aether Foundation and Professor Kukui's wife."

"I've heard a lot of stories about you from Ash." Burnet added, joining her on Kukui's couch. "Including when you two parted ways in Kalos with a kiss" she teasingly remarked.

"A-about that..." Serena remarked, blushing. "That was what I felt since I first met him back in Kanto."

"So, tell me more about how you feel about Ash" Burnet spoke in a motherly tone.

"A-alright, um, I first met him at a Pokémon Summer Camp hosted by Professor Oak, where I got lost in a forest and scared by a wild Poliwag. He found me, scared and injured from trying to run from that Poliwag. He helped me up after wrapping a handkerchief around my injured knee. After that, we met again after years in Kalos, right after he lost the Santalune Gym battle. While I still remembered when we first met back in Kanto, he unfortunately did not. It was only after I returned the handkerchief he used that he remembered." Serena narrated.

"Talk about heroic" Burnet commented.

"After that, he had helped me so many times. He even helped me realize my goals. However, things somewhat changed when he lost the Snowbelle Gym battle. He hadn't been acting like himself after losing to Wulfric, the Gym Leader, so he went off alone to the woods, but I caught up to him there. He then said that I don't know his feelings. Unfortunately, my emotions got the better of me, and I...snapped and ended up throwing three snowballs at him, telling him he wasn't acting like the Ash I knew." Serena continued the narration, with her expression changing to a sad one remembering when she snapped at Ash.

Professor Burnet inched a little closer to Serena, proceeding to comfort her.

"Thankfully, he got back to his senses and won the rematch. After that, and the Team Flare Crisis, I still didn't know what my true goals were. After Ash asked to battle with me, I realized that I wanted to become a Pokémon Performer and Coordinator. This, however, meant that I had to leave for Hoenn, but with him as inspiration, I pushed through." Serena continued, her expression now changing to a smile.

"As Ash and I prepared to leave Kalos, I finally mustered up the confidence to confess my feelings for him." Serena continued, blushing. Professor Burnet's expression changed to a seemingly teasing smile, knowing she was about to get to the kiss. "And without much thought, I gave him a kiss on the lips as a 'Thank you' gift. That was the best feeling I've had ever since!" Serena concluded her story, now blushing.

"Your story kind of reminds me of meeting Professor Kukui." Professor Burnet blushed, about to share her own story of meeting Professor Kukui.

"What makes you say so?" Serena asked the professor.

"Well, it all started when I was attacked at Poni Island by a Totem Kommo-o when we attempted to rescue Lillie's mother." Burnet started.

"It would have been the end of me had it not been for Kukui coming in with his Braviary." Burnet added. "Unfortunately, this meant the two of us weren't able to enter the Ultra Wormhole to help in the mission and were forced to wait until Ash and the rest defeated the Nihilego that kidnapped Lillie's mother." she continued. "The rescue was a success. Everything went back to what it was, until we decided to take a walk on the beach." she added. "There, he proposed to me." as she blushed. "After that, we told Ash the news of our engagement, and soon enough, the news spread quickly." she continued her narration. "We were pleasantly surprised by Kukui's students deciding to arrange a wedding ceremony for us. After that, we decided to live together here." as she concluded her story.

"Wow, I wish that was me and Ash." Serena thought to herself.

Soon after, Professor Kukui and Ash entered the living room and told stories of their adventures. This conversation, however, had nothing romantic.

The sun set, and night fell in Alola. Everyone was in their homes, and Serena has decided to stay with Ash for the duration of her stay in Alola.

**19:14 AST**

"Dinner time!" Professor Kukui called. Ash and Serena both called out their Pokémon and got to the dining table.

Soon, everyone began eating.

"You can sleep in the loft tonight." Ash declared to Serena, making his guest want to feel more comfortable.

"Thanks Ash, but where will you be sleeping?" Serena replied, with a bit of concern. "There's still the couch for me. As long as Lycanroc doesn't get there first, heh heh." Ash assured his friend. All laughed at Lycanroc's weird habit.

As dinner ended, Ash decided to show his friend around Kukui's place. The two then took time to watch some television.

**21:36 AST**

After a long television marathon, Ash and Serena both yawned. This indicated that it was time for lights out and a good shut-eye.

Serena got to the loft along with her Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon while Ash got to the couch along with Torracat, Lycanroc and Pikachu. Rowlet and Meltan decided to stay in Ash's backpack for the night, and both had already been snoozing away since they got back to Kukui's.

"Good night, Serena." Ash stated to his friend. "Good night, Ash." Serena responded.

Soon enough, the two drifted off to sleep until night became morning again.

**Sunday, June 16, 06:00 AST**

Morning came in Alola, and Serena had gotten up early, awed by the sunrise she was witnessing. Now Ash, who had been her tour guide yesterday, had slept very well after a good tour around the islands using up most of his energy.

**07:00 AST**

An hour after, Ash woke up to the sound of cooking in the kitchen. The sound also led Serena to the dining table. There, she made the group Poké Puffs and macarons.

"Mmm! These are great! You could be pretty handy around the kitchen." The professors stated, appreciating her cooking.

"Why, thanks!" Serena responded, blushing.

Soon enough, the four had breakfast, along with dessert.

**08:00 AST  
****Battle Royal Dome, Royal Avenue, Akala Island, Alola**

As the four finished their breakfast, Kukui headed off to the Battle Royale dome, while Burnet headed off to Aether Paradise. This inspired Ash to tour Serena around more of Alola's famous spots.

First off, they headed to the Battle Royal Dome, where Professor Kukui, as The Masked Royal, with his Incineroar, battled three other trainers.

Now Ash's Torracat was able to recognize from the scent who The Masked Royal really was. Torracat kept signalling to Ash who the Masked Royal's true identity was. Luckily for Ash, he managed to guess what Torracat was trying to say and was informed of his Professor's secret identity. He had told the rest of his classmates and Professor Burnet about this, and all agreed to keep it a secret.

Ash now decided to tell Serena about this, and she too, agreed to keep it a secret from the public.

As they exited the dome, they were met by Lillie, Hobbes, and Gladion, Lillie's older brother. "Lillie! Hobbes! Gladion! What brings you three here?" Ash asked. "Who's she?" Gladion asked Ash, referring to Ash's companion. "I'm Serena, from Kalos." as Serena introduced herself to Gladion. "I'm Gladion. Lillie's older brother." Gladion introduced to Ash's companion. The two then exchanged a brief handshake.

**10:12 AST  
****Aether Paradise, Alola**

Soon, the five headed off to Aether Paradise. "So this is Aether Paradise! It's so huge!" Serena marvelled at the structure.

"Wait till you get inside" Ash and Lillie chimed in unison.

Soon enough, the door opened for them. Serena immediately recognized Professor Burnet, but not her two companions, Wicke and Faba.

"Wicke! Faba! Good to see you!" Ash chimed. "And I see we have a special guest here today. What's your name, sweetie?" Wicke turned to Serena.

"I'm Serena, a Pokémon Performer from Kalos." Serena answered. "Serena, I've seen you on TV before, but seeing you in person? Wow! I'm a lucky fan today! I actually get to meet the Performer herself!" Faba excitedly screamed. "Now, let's show her around Aether Paradise." Wicke declared as she started touring Serena around.

Serena awed at all the Pokémon being taken care of at Aether Paradise. She was most endeared by a group of Bounsweet and in awe by a group of Alolan Exeggutor, which had long necks, and a group of Ditto, which transformed into all sorts of Pokémon, seemingly guessing what Pokémon they had with them, including Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, Rowlet, Lycanroc, Torracat, Meltan, and Pikachu.

Serena was amazed at the spectacle. Wicke then explained to her about the Ditto having been trained to guess which Pokémon guests had with them, and so far had an accuracy of about 75% but were getting better each day. Faba then noted that this was the first time the Ditto had 100% accuracy.

Soon enough, the group got to the main office of the Aether Paradise, where Lusamine was.

"Mother, we're here." Lillie knocked on the door. As Lusamine opened the door, she noticed it was Lillie and Gladion, along with Ash, Professor Burnet, Wicke, and Faba. She then turned to Serena and introduced herself "Hi, I'm Lusamine, the President of the Aether Foundation, and Lillie and Gladion's mother. What's your name, dear?". "My name's Serena. I'm from Kalos." Serena introduced herself to Lusamine.

Soon after, Serena then shared her experiences in Kalos with Ash and yesterday's experiences meeting Lillie. Faba and Lusamine both listened intently to the stories.

After a long conversation, Ash, Serena, Lillie and Gladion then left to head back to Melemele Island.

**12:13 AST  
****Aina's Kitchen, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola **

Ash, Serena, Lillie, and Gladion all decided to have lunch at Mallow's restaurant. Mallow soon joined them and prepared lunch for the five of them. Serena joined her in the kitchen and baked Poké Puffs and macarons for them to enjoy. Coincidentally, Kiawe, Lana, Sophocles and their families sat at other tables, all already having lunch. Fortunately, Serena baked enough Poké Puffs and macarons for the three families as well.

All had enjoyed the desserts. "I could feel her heart and soul in these desserts!" as Kiawe enjoyed the Poké Puffs. "They're so good! I could add these to the menu." commented Mallow. "Ah, Serena, what's the recipe for these?" Mallow asked. Serena soon wrote down the recipe for Mallow.

After Serena introduced herself to Abe, the owner of the restaurant and Mallow's father, Lana's parents, and Sophocles's parents, they then had conversations and storytelling.

**13:58 AST  
****Professor Kukui's House, Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

Ash and Serena then parted ways with the rest and went back to Professor Kukui's house.

They then had an afternoon of training their Pokémon, with Ash training for battles, and Serena training for Showcases in case any were to be held in Alola. Both had the occasional battle together. They trained until sundown.

**18:00 AST**

After a long afternoon of training, Ash and Serena went in for the night. Professors Kukui and Burnet also returned after their respective activities. The four then had dinner.

Tomorrow was the start of another week of class for Ash and company. Ash was now excited to tour Serena around the Pokémon School.

**21:00 AST**

After another night of recounting adventures in Alola for Ash and Serena now recounting her stories in Hoenn, including having met May, who was one of Ash's travelling companions in Hoenn, they then went to sleep excited, for tomorrow was when Serena would tour the Pokémon school.


	4. The Pokémon School

**Chapter 4: The Pokémon School**

* * *

**Monday, June 17, 06:30 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Professor Kukui's House, Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Beep beep! Beep beep! Rise and shine, kiddos!" exclaimed Rotom. "Today's a school day!" Rotom continued.

Waking up, Ash, Pikachu and Serena yawned. After a good shower to prepare for class, they then had breakfast.

**07:13 AST  
****Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

After having breakfast, Ash, Serena, and Professor Kukui then left for the Pokémon School.

Now Lana, whose house was closest to and along the same route as Professor Kukui's, would usually join Ash as he walked to school, and this was one of those days, so she joined Ash and Serena.

Soon enough, the three arrived, where Mallow, Lillie, Sophocles and Kiawe were waiting.

The seven then headed to the classroom.

**08:00 AST  
****Pokémon School, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Alola, class!" Professor Kukui greeted the seven trainers. "For this morning, we'll take time to tour Serena around the school." he announced.

"First stop, Principal Oak's office." He announced.

"Alola, class! Serena." said Principal Samson Oak as the group entered his office. "Professor Oak?" Serena asked upon entering the office. "That's who Eevee-ryone thinks I am when they first meet me. The Professor Oak you know, that's my cousin Samuel Oak. I'm Samson Oak, the Principal of the Pokémon School." Principal Samson Oak replied and introduced himself.

"Tell us Morelull about yourself." he added. Serena briefly paused, unamused by the puns. "Well, that's Principal Oak for you. Making Pokémon puns." Sophocles commented. Soon after, Serena then told stories of her adventures in Kalos with Ash, and how she first met him back in Kanto. She did, however, make sure to leave out the romantic parts, especially the kiss back at Lumiose Interregional Airport.

**08:48 AST**

"Next stop, the battlefield." Professor Kukui announced.

Soon, the group got to the battlefield. Seeing the perfect opportunity to introduce Z-Moves, Ash and Kiawe decided to show Serena the moves their Pokémon know.

Kiawe called out his Turtonator, while Ash called out Torracat. Kiawe then equipped his Firium Z into his Z-Ring and Ash also equipped a Firium Z into his Z-Power Ring.

Kiawe and Ash both initiated with an Inferno Overdrive on a wooden target each, causing the target to shatter. Ash then equipped his Lycanium Z, recalled Torracat and called out Lycanroc and did the same with a Splintered Stormshards.

Lana and Lillie, who both had Z-Rings, decided to join the two. Lana equipped her Waterium Z, then she and Primarina started off with a Hydro Vortex. She then equipped her Primarium Z and performed an Oceanic Operetta. Lillie then equipped her Icium Z as she and Snowy performed Subzero Slammer.

Kiawe then called out his Marowak, performing another Inferno Overdrive. He then called for his Charizard and replaced his Firium Z with a Flyinium Z. This allowed the two to perform a Supersonic Skystrike.

Mallow and Sophocles decided to join in as well, with Sophocles starting off with his Vikavolt to perform a Savage Spin-Out. As Mallow and Ash both had a Grassium Z, Ash replaced his Lycanium Z with a Grassium Z as Mallow equipped hers. Ash called on Rowlet while Mallow sent out Tsareena. The two then performed the Z-Move Bloom Doom together.

Ash still had three Z-Moves to show, so he decided to have Pikachu perform the remaining Z-Moves. He first equipped his Normalium Z, allowing Pikachu to perform Breakneck Blitz. He then equipped his Steelium Z, performing a Corkscrew Crash afterwards.

He then let out his ace in the hole, his Electrium Z, but as they were about to perform Gigavolt Havoc, a Pikashunium Z appeared in its place, allowing Ash to perform a 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt. All were amazed at seeing the rainbow of Thunderbolts bearing down upon wooden targets. They then decided to repeat, this time successfully pulling off a Gigavolt Havoc.

**09:21 AST**

Serena, now pumped up and hyped, decided to have an exhibition battle with Ash, with Professor Kukui refereeing.

Battling were Braixen and Pikachu. Pikachu initiated with a Quick Attack, but Braixen managed to dodge. Pikachu then countered with an Electroweb, snagging Braixen. Serena then ordered Braixen to counter with Fire Blast, but Pikachu managed to dodge.

Braixen then decided to use Flamethrower on Pikachu, but he still managed to dodge. Ash then countered with Iron Tail, only for Braixen to dodge. Seeing as things started to get interesting, Ash and Serena fired simultaneous attacks, Pikachu firing Thunderbolt and Braixen firing a Hidden Power that changed into a Fire-type.

Both Pokémon remained standing despite getting hit. Seeing an opportunity, Ash then decided to perform a Gigavolt Havoc, although the Pikashunium Z reappeared, forcing Ash to use 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, which managed to take down Braixen.

"Braixen is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! This means the battle goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" as Professor Kukui announced the end of the battle.

"Braixen, you did great!" Serena stated, recalling her Braixen. "Wow, you've really improved when it comes to strategy." Ash congratulated her, noticing a major change in her strategies from when he battled her back in Kalos. "Who knows, maybe you can get a Z-Ring and perform Z-Moves." Ash added.

Now Tapu Lele, Akala Island's guardian deity, flew over the Pokémon School and noticed Serena. She then decided to get close, with Ash greeting her. This reminded Ash of his first encounter with Tapu Koko, Melemele Island's guardian deity.

"I see Tapu Lele likes you." Ash stated. "Who knows, maybe she's gonna give you a Z-Ring just like Tapu Koko gave me."

"Tapu Koko?" Serena asked. "Tapu Koko, the Land Spirit Pokémon. An Electric and Fairy type. Tapu Koko brims with curiosity and appears before people from time to time." Rotom reported. "Yep, he was the one who gave me my Z-Ring and asked the other Tapu to upgrade it into a Z-Power Ring" Ash added to Rotom's report.

"What's a Tapu?" Serena then questioned her friend. "The Tapu are the guardian deities of each island in Alola." Ash stated. "For Melemele Island, Tapu Koko's the guardian. For Akala Island, it's Tapu Lele. For Ula'ula Island, Tapu Bulu is the guardian deity. Finally, for Poni Island, we have Tapu Fini." he continued.

"The one that just approached you is the guardian deity of Akala Island, Tapu Lele." Ash added.

Rotom then began to report on the other three guardian deities.

"Tapu Lele, the Land Spirit Pokémon. A Psychic and Fairy type. Tapu Lele playfully flutters around while scattering its mysterious glowing scales. It's said whoever touches its scales is instantly healed."

"Tapu Bulu, the Land Spirit Pokémon. A Grass and Fairy type. The Ula'ula Island Guardian. Although quite lazy, Tapu Bulu creates lush vegetation and absorbs its energy."

"Tapu Fini, the Land Spirit Pokémon. A Water and Fairy type. The Guardian of Poni Island. Tapu Fini creates and controls water that washes away anything unclean. It rarely appears in front of humans."

Tapu Lele then decided to give Serena her own Z-Ring, along with a Fairium Z. "Whoa!" Ash gasped, seeing Tapu Lele's actions. "Guess Tapu Lele chose you like Tapu Koko chose me." Serena giggled at her friend's statement.

**12:05 AST**

After a morning of showing Serena around the Pokémon School, they then returned to the classroom. Each one then got out their lunches and began eating, but not without letting out their Pokémon first. Seeing as the classroom had only six desks, Ash gave up his seat and decided to join his Pokémon.

"Professor Burnet makes the best meals ever!" as Serena enjoyed her lunch, which Professor Burnet had cooked for both her and Ash. "Yep." everyone else said in agreement.

Not long after, the group finished eating and rearranged the desks back into position, with Serena having to share a desk with Ash. She didn't mind sharing a desk with Ash, though.

**13:00 AST**

Professor Kukui then began the afternoon lesson, which was on how to get Z-Crystals. Professor Kukui asked everyone to explain how they got their Z-Rings and Z-Crystals.

Kiawe was the first to report, as he was the first of the class to obtain a Z-Ring. "My Z-Ring was passed down from my grandfather, with the current Island Kahuna Olivia's blessing. As of now, I have two Z-Crystals." showing his Z-Ring.

"The first one is my Firium Z, which I received after completing the Akala Island Grand Trial against Olivia." now showing his Firium Z.

"As for my Flyinium Z, I got it from Tapu Fini after clearing a trial she set up." he concluded his report.

"What's a Grand Trial and an Island Kahuna?" Serena asked. "A Grand Trial is a battle one undertakes after clearing at least one trial on the island they are on." Professor Kukui replied. "The Island Kahuna is the person you battle during a Grand Trial." he added. "It's like Gym Battles, without the gym." Ash added, to make the explanation easier for Serena to process.

Ash then reported next, being the second of the group to obtain a Z-Ring, and the first to obtain a Z-Power Ring. "My Z-Ring was given to me by Tapu Koko as a normal Z-Ring, along with my Electrium Z. The Island Kahuna Hala told me that Tapu Koko took the Z-Ring from him. As of now, I have used nine Z-Crystals but only own eight." Ash began, showing his Z-Power Ring.

"The first Z-Crystal I used was an Electrium Z, but this wasn't the first one I got. Tapu Koko wanted to test me, so I used Gigavolt Havoc on him, but the Z-Crystal shattered, so I set out to get another Z-Crystal. My first actual Z-Crystal is my Normalium Z. I got this from a Gumshoos after defeating it." showing his Normalium Z.

"After completing the first Alola grand trial, the Melemele Island grand trial against Hala, he was supposed to give me a Fightinium Z, but Tapu Koko decided to swap that with an Electrium Z, this time, one that does not shatter. It's my main, go-to, Z-Crystal." now showing his Electrium Z.

"My third Z-Crystal is my Grassium Z, which I got after defeating a Lurantis on Akala Island." showing his Grassium Z. Mallow nodded in agreement, as she was with him when he defeated the Lurantis.

"I got my Rockium Z, which is my fourth Z-Crystal, after completing the Akala Island grand trial against Olivia." as Ash showed his Rockium Z.

"My fifth Z-Crystal was not given for defeating a specific Pokémon. All four of the Tapu gave me this Z-Crystal to allow all of us to enter an Ultra Wormhole, where Nihilego took Lillie's mom. This is my Solganium Z." All were in awe as Ash showed them his Solganium Z.

"Seeing as the Solganium Z couldn't fit in my Z-Ring, the Tapu decided to upgrade my Z-Ring into a Z-Power Ring, which is what I have now." Ash continued.

"The sixth Z-Crystal I used was a Pikashunium Z. It first appeared out of my Electrium Z as Pikachu and I attempted to perform our Z-Move to defeat the Nihilego that was attacking Lusamine. You saw that earlier during our battle with Serena, didn't you, guys?" Ash continued his report.

"The sixth Z-Crystal I own was obtained after completing the Ula'ula Island grand trial. Nanu was supposed to give me a Darkinium Z, but he decided to give me a Lycanium Z instead, saying that the Dark type didn't fit me." as Ash showed his Lycanium Z.

"After completing the Poni Island grand trial, Hapu had me choose which Z-Crystal to receive, and Pikachu chose this Steelium Z." said Ash showing his Steelium Z.

"Finally, as a Celebi transported me into the past, I received a Firium Z for helping a Totem Trevenant." Ash finished his report, showing his Firium Z.

Serena was staring in awe at Ash, but as Ash returned to the desk the two shared, she came back to her senses quickly. This garnered a laugh from the others.

Lana was now up to report, being the third of the class to obtain a Z-Ring. "I obtained my Z-Ring after digging up a Sparkling Stone during a treasure hunt organized by Olivia. I have two Z-Crystals." as she began, showing her Z-Ring.

"The first one I got was my Waterium Z. I got it after hooking up a big School Forme Wishiwashi. The second one I got was given to me by Ida. It's a Primarium Z, which can only be used by Primarina." as she continued and concluded her report, showing each Z-Crystal.

Lillie came next, being the fourth of the class to obtain a Z-Ring. "My Z-Ring's history is a little different." Lillie began.

"When mother, Gladion, and I had searched for my father, we found his secret room, and we found his old Z-Ring. We then asked for Hala's permission to use it, which I got despite failing to perform a Z-Move." Lillie continued, showing her Z-Ring.

"This is my only Z-Crystal. It's an Icium Z I got for helping out an Alolan Sandshrew, which has now evolved into an Alolan Sandslash." Lillie finished her report.

Sophocles then reported next, being the fifth to obtain a Z-Ring. "I obtained my Z-Ring from Hapu after winning the Vikavolt Race. I have one Z-Crystal to use with it." Sophocles began, showing his Z-Ring.

"I got this Buginium Z as the reward for winning the Vikavolt Race." Sophocles finished his report.

Mallow then reported, being the last of the six to obtain a Z-Ring. "Oranguru was the one who gave me my Z-Ring, after Olivia cleaned and decorated it." Mallow began, showing her Z-Ring.

"I have only one Z-Crystal to use, which is a Grassium Z. Unlike Ash, who had to defeat a Lurantis in order to get a Grassium Z, this was given by Tapu Koko as thanks for my cooking." Mallow continued.

Soon after, they then discussed about Serena obtaining a Z-Ring equipped with a Fairium Z, which all of the class and Professor Kukui witnessed earlier.

**13:34 AST**

The class soon returned to the battlefield to practice their Z-Moves. Rotom and Ash volunteered to help Serena out with her newly-obtained Z-Ring and Fairium Z.

Serena called out her Sylveon, and soon began practice on a wooden target. It didn't take very long for Serena to remember the pose needed to perform the Fairy type Z-Move Twinkle Tackle.

After a few attempts, Serena then managed to pull off Twinkle Tackle successfully, impressing everyone, with Ash performing an enthusiastic fist-pump.

Ash and Serena were then joined by Lillie, who still had trouble performing Subzero Slammer. The three trainers soon resumed practice. This led to both Serena and Lillie having higher success rates in performing their Z-Moves.

**14:02 AST**

After practicing their Z-Moves, Professor Kukui then organized the battles. Now Ash was feeling very confident, so he decided to go against two trainers at once. Those two were Serena and Lillie.

The undercard battle was between Lana and Kiawe. Despite Lana having a type advantage and both performing their Z-Moves, Kiawe came out victorious.

Professor Kukui then snuck away, claiming he needed a bathroom break. He had actually gone out to change into his Masked Royal persona.

The Masked Royal then appeared in front of the seven, and declared that it was time for Ash, Lillie and Serena to battle.

To keep the battle fair, Ash had to send out two Pokémon at once while Lillie and Serena only had to send out one. Ash sent out Pikachu and Lycanroc, Serena sent out her Sylveon, and Lillie put forth Snowy.

Snowy initiated with Powder Snow, but Lycanroc blocked with Rock Throw. Lycanroc then fired off a second Rock Throw at Snowy, but Snowy dodged.

Sylveon then used Fairy Wind, landing a hit on Lycanroc. Pikachu used Electroweb and Iron Tail on Sylveon and Snowy, respectively, with both attacks connecting. Lycanroc then took the opportunity to use Stone Edge and Accelerock on Snowy and Sylveon, respectively. Again, both attacks hit but Snowy and Sylveon remained standing.

After taking a few hits, Serena then took the opportunity to fire off her Z-Move Twinkle Tackle on Lycanroc, successfully hitting him. Lillie then fired off a Subzero Slammer, still on Lycanroc, knocking him out.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle! Snowy and Sylveon are the winners!" The Masked Royal declared.

"You did well, Lycanroc!" Ash declared as he returned Lycanroc to his Pokéball. Ash saw the perfect opportunity to fire a Z-Move. "Well played, but let me show you how much damage a Z-Move can deal!" Ash declared as he was about to fire. Ash then replaced the Electrium Z in his Z-Power Ring with a Steelium Z and performed a Corkscrew Crash on Sylveon, knocking her out. He then reinstalled his Electrium Z and performed a Gigavolt Havoc on Snowy, knocking her out as well.

"Sylveon and Snowy are unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner, which means the match goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" The Masked Royal declared.

"Great job, Sylveon." said Serena, recalling her Sylveon. "Get a good rest, Snowy" said Lillie as she took back Snowy. The Masked Royal then snuck off again, having to change back into Professor Kukui.

Soon enough, Principal Oak's Komala rang the bell, indicating the class day has ended.

**14:36 AST  
****Pokémon Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

The seven then headed to the Pokémon Center to get Lycanroc, Sylveon and Braixen, Primarina, and Snowy healed after a long day of battling.

"Alola, Officer Jenny!" Ash greeted as they happened to meet Officer Jenny at the Pokémon Center.

"Alola, Ash! Everyone!" she responded.

"Alola!" Nurse Joy greeted the seven. "You must be Serena, from Kalos." she added as she noticed Serena with them.

"How did you know about me?" Serena asked Nurse Joy.

"My second cousins from Kalos told me." she answered.

"Right, all the Nurse Joys are related, and so are all the Officer Jennys." Serena remembered.

They engaged in conversation as they waited for Nurse Joy to finish healing Snowy, Sylveon and Braixen, Primarina, and Lycanroc.

The four trainers then received their Pokémon and decided to go their separate ways.

Lana sighed, remembering her mother would be out making deliveries for the day and her father would still be out at sea.

Serena and Ash decided to visit Lana for the afternoon, seeing as she would be left alone with Harper and Sarah. "Perhaps you could use some help with your little sisters." Serena suggested. "Well, the more the merrier." Lana happily agreed. The three then headed off to Lana's house.


	5. Beware of Strong Tremors!

**Chapter 5: Beware of Strong Tremors!**

* * *

**Monday, June 17, 15:08 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Lana's House, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

As they arrived, Harper and Sarah greeted Lana, Ash, Rotom and Serena. As Lana and Serena prepared their snacks, Ash decided to entertain Harper and Sarah with stories of his encounters with Legendary and Mythical Pokémon.

Harper and Sarah were usually quite naughty and would not stop moving around, but not around Ash. They listened intently to his stories and perhaps treated him as their big brother.

Seeing as boredom was about to set in, the twins then turned on the television, and the three coincidentally happened upon The Refreshing Trio: Alola Idols, the show Lillie, Lana and Mallow appeared in. "Hey, that's big sister Lana and big sister Lillie!" Sarah chimed. "And big sister Mallow too!" Harper chimed. "Oh no! It's the evil Gyarados!" the two chimed. The three then watch intently as the Gyarados gets defeated. "So awesome!" Ash, Pikachu and the twins screamed out. Rotom was quiet the entire time.

**15:22 AST**

A map of Alola and a red X placed somewhere near the ocean along with some text that read "Earthquake Early Warning (Alola Meteorological Agency), Beware of strong tremors off Poni Island. Poni Island, Melemele Island, Aether Paradise, Akala Island" showed on the TV screen. A woman then announced "This is an Earthquake Early Warning! Please beware of strong tremors on Poni Island, Melemele Island, Aether Paradise, and Akala Island". Rotom also displayed the same thing on his screen.

**15:22 AST  
****Sophocles's House, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Sophocles received a notification on his computer that read "Earthquake Early Warning! Beware of strong tremors off Poni Island! Poni Island, Melemele Island, and Akala Island!" and his parents received the same notification on their TV screen.

**15:22 AST  
****Professor Kukui's House, Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

Professors Kukui and Burnet, the former of whom just got home, were notified by television as well.

**15:22 AST  
****Aina's Kitchen, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Mallow and her father Abe received a notification on the radio.

**15:22 AST  
****Lillie's Estate, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Lillie was notified of an imminent earthquake by the arrival of an Absol she was taking care of in her room.

**15:22 AST  
****Pokémon Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were both notified of an earthquake by the front desk screen of the Pokémon Center.

**15:22 AST  
****Pokémon School, Melemele Island, Alola**

Principal Oak was then notified of an earthquake by the television screen in his office.

**15:22 AST  
****Paniola Ranch, Paniola Town, Akala Island, Alola**

As Kiawe and his family were watching TV, they, too, received the same warning. Kiawe began to panic for his classmates and Serena upon hearing the earthquake announcement.

**15:22 AST  
****Food Truck, Melemele Island, Alola**

As Team Rocket was selling malasadas to passers-by, the television in their food stall immediately notified them of an earthquake and Stufful immediately arrived.

Meowth promptly turned off all their cooking equipment as he, Jessie, James, Wobbuffet and Stufful hid inside the truck, with Wobbuffet activating his Counter and Mirror Coat to protect Stufful as he held Stufful in his arms.

**15:22 AST  
****Poni Island, Melemele Island and Akala Island, Alola**

As everyone received the notifications, a strong earthquake hit.

**15:22 AST  
****Lana's House, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Fortunately for Lana and Serena, the television was loud enough to hear from the kitchen.

"Serena, quick! Let's get under the table!" Lana screamed as she and Serena darted to the dining table.

**15:22 AST  
****Sophocles's House, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Sophocles immediately took Togedemaru and Vikavolt and got under his table.

**15:22 AST  
****Pokémon School, Melemele Island, Alola**

At the Pokémon School, Principal Oak hid under his desk with his Komala and Vulpix.

**15:22 AST  
****Pokémon Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

At the Pokémon Center, both Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy managed to get under the front desk.

**15:22 AST  
****Hau'oli City and Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

As for Mallow, she managed to get under one of the tables with the customers who were there. Professors Kukui and Burnet managed to get under the table in front of their TV set. Lillie also managed to get quickly under her desk.

**15:22 AST  
****Paniola Ranch, Paniola Town, Akala Island, Alola**

Luckily for Kiawe and family, the earthquake that hit them was only weak. Despite this, they still hid under a table.

**15:22 AST  
****Melemele Island, Alola**

Team Rocket, who were all notified of an earthquake as they were selling malasadas, managed to have Bewear grab them and protect them from the earthquake.

"About time you showed up, Bewear." Jessie said amidst the shaking.

"Do remember to protect yourself." James reminded Bewear to protect herself as well as the shaking occurred.

"It ain't safe here." Meowth screamed out. Wobbuffet agreed with his teammate.

Without hesitation, Bewear managed to lift away the food truck to dart all of them to her cave.

**15:22 AST  
****Lana's House, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Unfortunately, Ash, Harper and Sarah could not find any tables to get under, so they decided to head for the corner. Worse still, a bookshelf fell over and was about to fall on Harper and Sarah. Fearing for Harper and Sarah's safety, Ash then proceeded to hold Pikachu, Rotom, Harper and Sarah in an embrace to protect them.

The earthquake went on for seven minutes.

**15:30 AST  
****Sophocles's House, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Aaaaah! It's so dark! Mom! Dad! Where are you?!" Sophocles screamed out, afraid of the darkness that now surrounded him, Vikavolt and Togedemaru.

Togedemaru immediately responded to her trainer's fears by sparking up and lighting up her cheeks and yellow spikes. "Thanks, Togedemaru!" Sophocles hugged her. "Mom! Dad! Where are you?" Sophocles continued, as he looked around and found himself trapped by some rubble, though he was uninjured. Sophocles's parents managed to get out to search for their missing son.

Immediately, Vikavolt pushed through some of the rubble and managed to clear a way out for Sophocles and Togedemaru. The three immediately got out, allowing Sophocles to get to his parents. All were in tears of relief that they were all safe and there were no casualties from their side.

**15:30 AST  
****Professor Kukui's House, Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Honey, are you OK?" Professor Kukui asked Professor Burnet. "Yep." she replied. The two, along with Professor Burnet's Munchlax, got out safely, although the house had noticeable damage. Professor Burnet then felt uneasy, seeing as Ash and Serena had not yet returned from their visit to Lana's place.

**15:30 AST  
****Paniola Ranch, Paniola Town, Akala Island, Alola**

Kiawe and family all managed to get out safely with no casualties.

**15:30 AST  
****Bewear's Den, Melemele Island, Alola**

Team Rocket also suffered no casualties after the earthquake.

**15:30 AST  
****Lillie's Estate, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Lillie was quickly able to get out from her hiding spot along with Snowy, both of whom were uninjured, despite the chandelier and bookshelf in her room having fallen. As she got down the stairs to exit, however, she was quickly brought to tears by the sight that was Hobbes bleeding and unconscious from getting hit by shards from a fallen chandelier and various other objects thrown around during the shaking.

"Hobbes!" She ran down to where he was, with tears in her eyes. "Hobbes! Hobbes! Get up, please! Hobbes! Hobbes!" Lillie cried as she shook her butler's shoulders, trying to get him to wake up. She then called for emergency services, hoping to get Hobbes to the nearest hospital before it was too late.

**15:30 AST  
****Aina's Kitchen, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

Mallow, Tsareena and Shaymin were all able to get out uninjured from their hiding spot, though some parts of the restaurant collapsed.

Just as she called for her father, Tsareena found him unconscious and bleeding from getting hit by some of the rubble that flew as a result of a gas explosion as he was hiding under a table. "Oh no! Daddy!" Mallow ran to her father with tears in her eyes. Mallow immediately called emergency services, and with Tsareena's help, got her father out of the rubble, away from the exploded gas tank and into fresh air.

"Daddy! Please wake up! Daddy! Can you hear me?!" Mallow screamed as she attempted to wake her father, to no avail. Shaymin then used Aromatherapy to remove any gas Mallow's father had inhaled.

**15:30 AST  
****Lana's House, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Serena, you okay?" Lana asked her. "I'm alright, Lana" Serena replied. "Aah! What about Ash!" Serena immediately panicked, worried for Ash's safety. "And what about Harper and Sarah?" as Lana worried for the twins.

Luckily for the two, the rubble didn't manage to trap them. They then immediately rushed to the living room, where Ash, Harper, Sarah, Rotom and Pikachu were.

"Big brother! The shaking has already stopped!" the twins proclaimed as they got out from under the bookshelf with Pikachu's and Rotom's assistance, only for them to find that Ash was not with them.

Rotom and Pikachu lifted up the bookshelf back to its usual position while Harper and Sarah cleared away the contents, digging in hopes of finding Ash, and all four were in shock as they noticed Ash had become motionless and covered in blood.

"Big brother?! Big brother?! Please don't die!" Harper screamed as she and Sarah shook Ash's shoulders. "Big brother?! Please wake up, big brother!" Sarah screamed, almost in tears at what she was seeing.

Pikachu immediately ran over to Lana and Serena and perched himself on Serena to report what had happened. "(Come quick!)" he squeaked in panic.

"Harper? Sarah? Ash? Rotom? Where are you?" Lana and Serena called out to the twins and Ash from the hallway. "Big sister Lana! Big sister Serena!" cried the twins as they ran to Serena and Lana.

"Are you two alright?" Lana asked her sisters. "We're alright, but big brother Ash! He won't wake up!" screamed the twins, already in tears. Tears immediately welled in Serena's and Lana's eyes as the four ran to the living room.

"Ash!" Serena gasped as she ran to her unconscious friend with tears flowing down her cheeks. "What happened?!" Lana asked her sisters, crying upon seeing Ash's unconscious body. "We couldn't find a table and the bookshelf was about to fall on us!" the twins continued, crying.

"Ash! Can you hear me?! Ash!" Serena cried as she shook Ash by the shoulders before falling on his chest. Lana was unsure of what to feel regarding Ash's sacrifice as she checked his pulse, but she was still crying. Lucky for them, Ash still had a pulse, but it was a weak pulse.

"When the shaking stopped, we thought that was it, then Pikachu and Rotom got us out. Pikachu and Rotom lifted the bookshelf, and after digging through the things there, we saw him and tried waking him up!" the twins added, crying louder. Serena then called the emergency services.

**15:30 AST  
****Paniola Ranch, Paniola Town, Akala Island, Alola**

As Kiawe turned on the TV, a news report came on.

"The earthquake that just occured on Poni Island was a magnitude 9.2 earthquake. The epicenter was 4 kilometers off Poni Coast. From Poni Island, we are now reporting Intensity 7 at Poni Gauntlet, Poni Coast, Vast Poni Canyon. Intensity 6 Upper has been reported at Poni Plains, Poni Breaker Coast, Poni Wilds, Ancient Poni Path, Poni Grove. Intensity 6 Lower has been observed at Poni Wilds, Seafolk Village, and Exeggutor Island. From Melemele Island, we are reporting Intensity 6 Upper on Hau'oli City, Route 1, and Ten Carat Hill. Intensity 6 Lower has been reported in Melemele Sea, Iki Town, and Route 2. 5 Upper in Mahalo Trail, Route 3. 5 Lower in Verdant Cavern and Hau'oli Cemetery. We are reporting Intensity 4 at Seaward Cave, Kala'e Bay and Melemele Meadow. From Aether Paradise, we reported Intensity 6 Lower. From Akala Island, we report Intensity 5 Lower in Konikoni City, and Route 9, Intensity 4 in Heahea City and Route 4, and Intensity 3 on the rest of Akala Island. This just in, we have a tsunami warning for the residents of Hau'oli City and all of Poni Island! A tsunami is likely to occur off the Eastern Coast of Poni Island and the Western Coast of Melemele Island! Evacuate immediately! I repeat, evacuate immediately!"


	6. News Updates

**Chapter 6: News Updates**

* * *

**Monday, June 17, 15:35 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Ambulances 1 and 2, Hau'oli City, Melemele Island, Alola**

As soon as all had called emergency services, verified their own safety, and prepared to evacuate, the others then began calling to verify the safety of their classmates, family, and friends.

Lana, Harper, Sarah, Pikachu, Rotom and Serena were with Ash, Lillie and Snowy were with Hobbes, and Mallow, Tsareena and Shaymin were with her father as Ash, Hobbes, and Abe were carried into the ambulance.

Lana first contacted Lillie on her mobile phone, getting Lillie on speakerphone so both Lana and Serena can respond.

"Hello Lillie? I-It's me, Lana. I'm with Serena right now, how are you doing?" Lana said, over the phone, her voice indicating to Lillie that something was off.

"I-I'm fine, but Hobbes isn't! What about you?" Lillie responded, still in tears from what had happened to her butler, as she heard Serena, Pikachu, Rotom, Harper, and Sarah crying during the call.

Any attempt made by Serena to speak was rendered unintelligible as she was crying her heart out, along with Pikachu, Rotom, Harper and Sarah.

"Serena and I are both fine, but Ash isn't! He got injured trying to protect my sisters!" Lana responded, still crying.

**15:37 AST  
****Ambulance 2, Melemele Island, Alola and Aether Paradise Medical Helicopter**

At this, Lillie began to cry even more upon hearing her good friend also got injured during the quake, and with any attempt to speak rendered unintelligible by her sobbing and wailing, she hung up. Just then, another call came on Lillie's phone, this time from Wicke.

"Hello Lillie? It's Wicke. I'm hearing you're in an ambulance?" said Wicke, her voice also indicating something wrong.

"Yes, Wicke. Hobbes got injured after the earthquake, so we called emergency services quickly. Please tell Mother about this." Lillie spoke, her voice still breaking from hearing of Ash's injuries.

"I'm so sorry, Lillie. Your mother got hurt during the earthquake. She is being airlifted as I speak." Wicke broke down in tears upon breaking the news.

"First Hobbes, then Ash, and n-now Mother?! H-How many casualties do we have?!" Lillie replied loudly, now sobbing upon hearing her mother also got injured.

"Ash got injured as well?!" Wicke and Faba could only reply, the former still crying.

"Y-Yes" Lillie weakly said as a wave of tears burst out of her eyes and she continued crying.

"I-I wish we could be there to comfort you, but h-here we are with problems of our own!" Wicke replied, sobbing.

Wicke and Faba were with Lusamine as she was airlifted to Melemele Hospital.

"Why don't we all talk when we get to the hospital." responded Faba, having to take the phone from Wicke as any attempt she made to speak got rendered unintelligible by her crying.

**15:37 AST  
****Ambulance 1 and Ambulance 3, Melemele Island, Alola**

Lana then decided to call Mallow.

"Hello, Mallow? I-It's Lana. How are things over there?" said Lana, still crying.

"N-Not good! I'm fine and all, but Daddy isn't! H-How about you, Serena, and Ash?" replied Mallow, sobbing, hearing Lana, Serena, Pikachu, Rotom, Harper and Sarah all crying as Lana turned on the speakerphone.

"Serena and I are both okay" Lana began. "But Ash isn't! He got injured trying to protect Harper and Sarah!" she continued, still crying.

"That was heroic of him, but still..." Mallow replied, but couldn't finish her sentence as she broke down while still on the phone.

"Well, let's talk when we all get to the hospital." Lana could only speak as she hung up.

**15:40 AST  
****Paniola Town, Paniola Ranch, Akala Island, Alola calling Ambulance 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

Kiawe had already managed to confirm Sophocles's, Lilllie's and Mallow's safety, but not yet Lana's and Ash's. He had already called Ash numerous times, to no avail.

"Dang it!" a frustrated Kiawe screamed. "I can't reach Ash! He's not responding to my calls!"

"Try calling Lana," Mimo suggested. "Right!" Kiawe sighed and began as he furiously dialed, hoping to get a response.

"Hello? Lana? It's Kiawe." Kiawe initiated as Lana picked up the phone, with her, Rotom, Pikachu, Harper, Sarah and Serena still crying.

"Lana? Serena? What happened?" Kiawe began to panic as he heard them crying.

"Kiawe! This is bad! Ash got hurt! He got hurt trying to protect my little sisters!" Lana screamed.

A shocked and saddened Kiawe hung up and began to cry. "Oh no, not Ash!" he screamed out. "What about Ash?" Mimo asked him.

He then hugged Mimo as he broke the news of Ash's injury to her. Both were now sobbing uncontrollably, and when asked by their parents, they broke the news to them.

**15:42 AST**

They then turned on the TV, where Anna, Alola's resident news reporter, reported the earthquake that had occured 20 minutes ago. "During the earthquake, we have received 15 reports of injuries, three of whom are the President of the Aether Foundation, Lusamine; the owner of Aina's Kitchen, Abe; and Ash Ketchum, a trainer from Pallet Town, runner-up of the Lumiose Conference and a recipient of the Honor of Kalos medal. That ends my report." as she began sobbing.

"Mimo, come! We have to get to Ash and the others!" Kiawe panicked, as he ordered Mimo to come with him on his Charizard. "Charizard! Go!" as he ordered Charizard to take off for Melemele Island.

**15:43 AST  
****Professor Kukui's House, Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola calling Ambulance 1 and Aether Paradise Medical Helicopter **

Professors Kukui and Burnet also heard the news on the television. This caused Professor Burnet to break down upon hearing the news of both Ash and Lusamine getting injured during the earthquake.

Immediately, Professor Kukui called Lana. "Hello, Lana? It's Professor Kukui. What exactly happened?" he said worriedly over the phone.

"P-Professor Kukui, Ash was with my little sisters Harper and Sarah in our living room when the earthquake hit, and since there was no table there, they headed to the corner of the house, but a bookshelf was about to fall on Harper and Sarah, and without a second thought, he protected Harper, Sarah, Rotom and Pikachu with an embrace, so he took the full force of the falling bookshelf and he was knocked unconscious." Lana responded between sobs before finally breaking down and crying her heart out.

"OK, Lana, calm down. Let's talk when we all get to the hospital." Professor Kukui replied in a comforting tone upon hearing Lana in distress and hung up while comforting his wife. Suddenly, a call came on Professor Burnet's phone. This call was from Faba.

"Hello, professors? It's me, Faba. How are you two doing?" Faba began.

"W-We're both fine, Faba." Professor Burnet replied, sobbing.

"At least you two are safe. But I'm sorry to say, Lusamine isn't." Faba replied.

"Faba! Just how many more casualties do we need?!" Professor Burnet tearfully screamed.

"Let's all talk when we get to the hospital, okay." Faba replied, not wanting to distress his colleague further as he still had to console his superior, Wicke, who was close enough to Faba to be heard crying during the call.

**15:43 AST  
****Ambulance 2, Melemele Island, Alola calling Seafolk Village, Poni Island, Alola**

Concerned for her older brother, Lillie decided to call Gladion.

"Hello, big brother? It's me, Lillie. How are you and Hapu over there?" Lillie called, still sobbing over the recent events.

"Both of us are unharmed. I've heard Mother was injured during the earthquake." Gladion replied, his voice breaking from hearing of Lusamine's injury.

"A-and s-she's not the o-only one. H-Hobbes and A-Ash also g-got i-injured during the earthquake." Lillie replied as her tears continued to fall.

"Oh no, Ash as well?!" Gladion and Hapu both gasped at the news of Ash getting injured.

"Uh, why don't we talk when we get to the hospital?" Gladion finished the call and hung up, hearing Lillie crying during the phone call.

**15:45 AST  
****Seafolk Village, Poni Island, Alola calling Route 17, Ula'ula Island, Alola**

After Lillie's call, Hapu received a phone call from Ula'ula Island's Kahuna Nanu.

"Hapu? It's Nanu. You OK?" Nanu initiated the call.

"Yes. However, Lusamine and Ash have both gotten injured by the quake." Hapu replied.

"Oh no! The Aether Foundation President and the boy with his Lycanroc?! Man, how am I gonna tell Acerola that Ash had gotten injured? She had quite the affinity for him, you know." Nanu gasped and started in shock at the news, scratching his head at the news of Ash's injury.

"Regardless, I'm still gonna have to break the news." as Nanu regained his composure.

"See you then." as Nanu hung up and rushed to Malie Library.

"Let's get to the gang at Melemele!" Gladion hastily ran along with Hapu as one of Lillie's drivers arrived on a helicopter.

**15:47 AST  
****Malie Library, Malie City, Ula'ula Island, Alola**

As Acerola was reading two children named Pico and Nene a story, Nanu rushed into the library. "Wow, Uncle! You're not usually this energetic!" Acerola stood shocked at Nanu's sudden entrance.

"I'm sorry, but seems I've got bad news for you." Nanu responded. "It's about your friend Ash. I'm sorry to say this, but he got injured during that earthquake earlier." as Nanu sadly broke the news to Acerola.

"Oh no... Ash..." as Acerola began to cry on Nanu's shoulder.

"Come! Let's get to Melemele Hospital!" commanded Nanu as he and Acerola both got to his chopper at Ula'ula Police Station, with him piloting.


	7. Without Him

**Chapter 7: Without Him**

* * *

**Monday, June 17, 16:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

Three ambulances, three helicopters, Kiawe and Mimo on Charizard, Principal Oak, Professors Kukui and Burnet, Lana's parents, Sophocles and his family, along with Hala and Olivia all arrived at Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center.

Mallow, along with Tsareena and Shaymin, helped the emergency personnel wheel her father into the emergency room. Wicke, Faba, and Gladion all helped with Lusamine, while Lillie helped whisk Hobbes off into the ER.

Serena, Lana, Harper, Sarah, Kiawe, Sophocles, Hapu, and Pikachu all helped out in wheeling Ash into the emergency room, not noticing Lycanroc and Torracat coming out to help as well.

Pikachu decided to stay by Ash's side as he was being wheeled into the emergency room.

Those who did not arrive by emergency vehicle remained outside the hospital.

As the patients were brought into the emergency room, everyone entered the hospital.

Serena, Lana, Gladion, Lillie, Mallow, Kiawe, Sophocles, Harper, Sarah, Lycanroc, Torracat, Wicke, Faba, Hapu, Tsareena, and Shaymin all got out of the emergency room. Everyone greeted each other with embraces and with the exception of Hala, Nanu, Lana's parents, and Faba, crying in both relief at their friends' safety and sadness for those who weren't as lucky, though Hala, Nanu and Faba were all struggling to hold back their tears. Almost no one was able to console the other as crying filled the hospital.

Serena dropped to her knees as she got out of the emergency room, not noticing Pancham, Braixen, Sylveon, Rowlet, and Meltan all getting out of their Pokéballs, all while crying her heart out with them and getting hugged by Lycanroc. Lana, Harper, and Sarah ran to their parents as they saw them, all three of them crying. Mallow continued to cry as she saw Ash unconscious, and as she got out of the ER, shared an embrace with Hapu, who was herself crying. Primarina, Shaymin, and Tsareena, seeing their Trainers cry, locked themselves in a tearful embrace. Lillie could only cry her heart out, dropping to her knees. Snowy, who was also in tears, went off to snuggle with Torracat, himself in tears after seeing his Trainer unconscious. Gladion, too, dropped to his knees to try and comfort his sister, though he was himself in tears after seeing his mother and Ash injured. As for Kiawe, he looked away from the scene, but was also in tears along with his Marowak and Turtonator. Sophocles also got out of the emergency room crying as he saw his friends cry for Ash.

Rotom, too, continued crying as he looked at all the others.

"I didn't know you could cry?" Professor Kukui, in tears after seeing Ash injured, said to Rotom, who was also in tears over what was happening.

"Oh, P-Professor. Wait till you s-see Ash." Rotom responded through his tears.

**Monday, June 17, 22:00 UDT (Unova Daylight Saving Time) **[Monday, June 17, 16:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Striaton Gym, Striaton City, Unova**

Meanwhile, in Unova, as Cilan, one of the leaders of the Striaton City Gym and a friend of Ash's who travelled with him while he was in Unova, prepared to call it a day with his brothers Chili and Cress along with Iris, who decided to stay at Striaton Gym for the night and another of Ash's friends who travelled with him and Cilan in Unova, when the TV suddenly announced the news of the earthquake in Alola.

"Uh, I seem to be getting a bad taste at what's happening in Alola." Cilan stated, nervous at the news.

All four silently watched the news, until: "One of those who had been injured during the earthquake is Ash Ketchum, a Trainer from Pallet Town and a recipient of the Kalos Medal of Honor for helping out against Team Flare."

"Oh no! Ash?!" Cilan and Iris simultaneously screamed out. "I knew my bad taste proved correct, but I d-didn't expect this to h-happen!" Cilan stated as he began to tear up. "No, Ash..." Iris said as she began to cry. Cilan simply looked away, and he, too, was in tears. Iris's Axew attempted to comfort her, but he, too, ended up crying while Cress and Chili could only look on sadly and silently at what was happening.

**22:00 UDT **[16:00 AST]  
**Nimbasa Gym, Nimbasa City, Unova**

As Elesa, the Nimbasa City Gym Leader, also prepared to call it a day, she decided to relax herself by watching television. Much to her surprise, a breaking news report came as she turned on the TV.

She was even more surprised as she heard of Ash getting injured.

"Wait, what? Ash Ketchum? Name seems familiar... Oh yeah! Cilan's old pal!" as she tried recalling Ash. Tears began to form in her eyes as she recalled him.

**22:00 UDT **[16:00 AST]  
**Mistralton Gym, Mistralton City, Unova**

Skyla, the Mistralton City Gym Leader, was also about to call it a day. She had decided to watch television to relax herself, only to come upon a news report upon turning on the TV.

"Isn't this boy Cilan's old friend?!" Skyla gasped in surprise at the mention of Ash's injury.

"The boy sure gave me a good battle." as Skyla started crying.

**22:00 UDT **[16:00 AST]  
**Virbank Gym, Virbank City, Unova**

Roxie, the Virbank City Gym Leader, along with the rest of the band, were about to call it a night as well when a news flash came on the TV screen.

"Oh no... th-that's the guy from Kanto who beat me... Ash..." Roxie was stunned and brought to tears by the news.

**22:00 UDT **[16:00 AST]  
**Nacrene City, Unova**

Burgh, the Castelia City Gym Leader, was at home, thinking about his next masterpiece. When he decided to watch TV for inspiration and relaxation, he was shocked to hear of an earthquake in Alola.

"Wasn't he the one who helped me out with the Venipede problem?" as a stunned Burgh reacted to Ash's injury.

**22:00 UDT **[16:00 AST]  
**Professor Juniper's Lab, Nuvema Town, Unova**

Professor Juniper and Bianca had both prepared to call it a day when Professor Juniper stumbled upon an online link about the earthquake in Alola.

As she read the link, she and Bianca were stunned upon reading about Ash's injury.

"Oh Ash..." as Bianca dropped to her knees and cried her heart out.

**Tuesday, June 18, 11:00 JRT (Johto Regional Time) **[Monday, June 17, 16:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Goldenrod Gym, Goldenrod City, Johto**

Meanwhile, in Johto, Whitney was waiting for trainers to challenge her gym. As she turned on the TV to alleviate her boredom, she was shocked to hear the news of the earthquake in Alola instead.

"I remember this guy. He gave me a good battle." as Whitney recalled Ash and started to tear up.

**11:00 JRT **[Monday, 16:00 AST]  
**Olivine Gym, Olivine City, Johto**

Jasmine was practicing for Pokémon Contests as she waited for trainers to challenge the gym. When she decided to take a break and watch television, she was shocked to see the newscast of the earthquake in Alola.

"This boy... He was the one that got medicine for Sparky." as Jasmine recalled Ash and began to cry.

**Tuesday, June 18, 11:00 KRT (Kanto Regional Time)** [Monday, June 17, 16:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Ketchum Residence, Pallet Town, Kanto**

Meanwhile, in Kanto: "(Delia! You might want to look at this!)" as the Mr. Mime also known as Mimey called out in panic to Delia, Ash's mother.

As soon as Mimey turned on the television and watched the news along with Delia, the news of the earthquake reached her. Immediately, wailing filled the Ketchum household as Delia learned of what had happened to her son in Alola.

**11:00 KRT** [Monday, 16:00 AST]  
**Professor Oak's Laboratory, Pallet Town, Kanto**

Professor Oak, too, heard the news of Ash's injury on TV. He immediately contacted his cousin afterwards to check on him, not minding his assistant Tracey Sketchit crying upon hearing of his friend's injury.

"Samson? It's Samuel. How are things there?" Professor Oak called his cousin, his voice filled with worry.

"N-Not good. We've had four casualties from those the children hold dear to them. As you can hear behind me, the students are all crying, especially at what had happened to Ash." Principal Oak responded, himself also in tears.

"OK, we'll make an effort to get there as quickly as we can." as Professor Oak hung up.

**11:00 KRT** [Monday, 16:00 AST]  
**Pewter Gym, Pewter City, Kanto**

At Brock's gym in Pewter City, the radio managed to deliver the news of Ash's injury to Brock, who had tuned in. He then decided not to have any more Gym Battles for the day.

"Ash..." Brock muttered, in tears upon hearing his best friend got injured during that earthquake.

**11:00 KRT** [Monday, 16:00 AST]  
**Cerulean Gym, Cerulean City, Kanto **

At the Cerulean Gym, where Misty was, she then saw the news of the Alolan disaster on TV. As soon as she received the news of Ash being one of the casualties, she also decided not to have any more Gym Battles for the day.

"Oh no! Ash!" said Misty, crying upon hearing the news of Ash's injury.

**Tuesday, June 18, 11:00 HRT (Hoenn Regional Time) **[Monday, June 17, 16:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**May and Max's House, Petalburg City, Hoenn**

Over at Hoenn, as May turned on the TV to watch her favorite show along with her younger brother Max, both siblings were shocked to find a newscast airing instead.

"Ash..." as May began to cry over hearing of Ash's injury. "Why did it have to be him?" as she sobbed and wailed. Max was also in tears over what was happening as the two siblings embraced.

**Tuesday, June 18, 11:00 SRT (Sinnoh Regional Time)** [Monday, June 17, 16:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Dawn's House, Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh**

Meanwhile, in Sinnoh: "Hey Dawn, you better come quick! There's a news flash of an earthquake in Alola!" Dawn's mother Johanna called out to her daughter, her voice filled with panic.

As Dawn came running to the living room, both heard the news of Ash's injury.

"Oh Ash..." Dawn whimpered as tears fell from her eyes. Dawn later fell onto her knees and cried disconsolately. Johanna then proceeded to comfort her crying daughter.

**Monday, June 17, 16:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

Everyone then entered the area that was to be used as an evacuation center, where they would be staying until the disaster management office declares their locations safe to return to. Majority of those at the evacuation center were still in tears over what was happening.

**Tuesday, June 18, 06:00 KDT (Kalos Daylight Saving Time) **[Monday, June 17, 18:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Shalour City, Kalos**

Meanwhile, in Kalos, as Korrina, the Shalour City Gym Leader, was preparing to head to her gym, she and her grandfather Gurkinn decided to watch TV for a while. When she turned on the television, a news report came up.

The news report was about the earthquake in Alola. As both continued watching the news report, the news of Ash getting injured reached the two. Both Gurkinn and Korrina were stunned at what they were hearing, and the latter began to tear up until she broke down.

"Oh no... Ash..." Korrina muttered as she started crying.

**06:00 KDT **[18:00 AST]  
**Santalune City, Kalos**

"Hey Alexa, you might want to see this." Viola, the Santalune City Gym Leader, nervously called to her sister Alexa, herself a friend of Ash.

"What?! Ash, injured?! Please tell me this isn't true!" Alexa could only react and shed tears upon hearing of her friend's injury.

**06:00 KDT **[18:00 AST]  
**Cyllage City, Kalos**

As Grant, the Cyllage City Gym Leader, read the morning news, he was shocked to read about the earthquake in Alola and Ash's injury.

"Oh no, how's Viola's sister and Clemont going to be holding up after this?" he reacted, stunned at the news and concerned for his friends.

**06:00 KDT **[18:00 AST]  
**Coumarine City, Kalos**

Ramos, the Coumarine City Gym Leader, was tending to his garden when the morning newspaper delivery arrived.

As he read the newspaper, he was shocked to hear the news of an earthquake in Alola.

**06:00 KDT** [18:00 AST]  
**Anistar City, Kalos**

Olympia, the Anistar City Gym Leader, and her two assistants Carrie and Charlene decided to watch television for a while to relax. Olympia had trouble sleeping last night, as she had predicted Ash would get injured in Alola.

As the three were watching the morning news, the news of the Alolan earthquake came up.

"I had predicted this and hoped for it not to come true, but, alas, it did." she said, horrified by her prediction coming true.

**06:00 KDT **[18:00 AST]  
**Winding Woods, Snowbelle City, Kalos**

Wulfric, the Snowbelle City Gym Leader, turned on the television at his cabin in the Winding Woods. As he watched the morning news, he was shocked at hearing of an earthquake in Alola and Ash's injury.

"Wait a minute... That's the boy with the Greninja!" a stunned Wulfric said as he heard the news of Ash's injury.

**06:00 KDT **[18:00 AST]  
**Laverre Gym, Laverre City, Kalos calling Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

Valerie, the Laverre City Gym Leader, and her assistants Kali, Blossom, Katherine, and Linnea were watching the morning news.

All were in shock at hearing the news of Ash's injury.

"He was the guy who defeated you, right, Lady Valerie?" Linnea asked, almost in tears.

"Lady Valerie?" Kali asked Valerie, the latter about to cry.

"Y-yes, that's him, but I'm also concerned for his friend Serena. Clemont told me she had gone to Alola." Valerie tearfully replied to Linnea's question.

"Serena... Oh yeah, one of the girls who modelled your designs when two of your models couldn't make it." Blossom recalled.

"Oh my, I don't think I can imagine her in such distress and despair." Katherine said.

A minute later, Valerie decided to call Serena.

"Hello, Serena? It's Valerie. How are you there in Alola?" she initiated the call.

"V-Valerie? Oh Valerie..." as Serena sobbed through the phone.

"This was worse than I imagined." Valerie thought to herself.

"I-I'm fine, but Ash, he is in the e-emergency room right now!" as Serena continued crying.

"Oh, how t-tragic. I hope he recovers soon. I don't want to distress you any further, Serena, so goodbye." as Valerie tearfully hung up.

**06:00 KDT** [18:00 AST]  
**Pokémon Center, Lumiose City, Kalos calling Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

Shauna, Trevor, Tierno, Sawyer and Miette were also watching the morning news along with Nurse Joy when news of the earthquake came to them.

"Didn't Clemont tell me Serena and Ash were in Alola?" Miette began to worry for her friends' safety.

The news report continued, eventually reporting Ash's injury.

Shauna, Trevor, Tierno, Sawyer, and Miette all gasped in shock at Ash's injury.

"Well, I hope Serena's fine." Tierno could only hope after hearing the tragic news as he locked Miette in an embrace as she began crying at the mention of Ash's injury.

Shauna called Serena from her phone. She initially couldn't get to her as her number was busy, still in the middle of Valerie's call.

"Hello, Serena? It's me, Shauna. I'm with Miette, Tierno, Sawyer, and Trevor right now. How are you doing?" Shauna initiated the call after one failed attempt.

"I'm fine Shauna, but Ash, he, he... he is in the emergency room right now." Serena wailed through the phone, still distressed after Valerie's call.

"She's fine, alright, but I don't think she's holding up too good." Shauna told the others.

"Well, Serena, I... I don't want to rub salt in the wound. Bye." as she hung up, herself about to cry.

**06:00 KDT** [18:00 AST]  
**Aria's House, Lumiose City, Kalos calling Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

As Aria checked her laptop for news updates, she was shocked to find a news update of an earthquake in Alola.

As she clicked the link and read the news, her eyes began to water after reading of Ash getting injured.

"I better call Serena. Her friend Clemont told me she and Ash are in Alola right now." she thought.

She made two failed attempts to call from her phone, as Valerie and Shauna were still calling her.

On her third attempt, she finally succeeded getting Serena on the phone.

"Hello, Serena? It's Aria here. Thank goodness you're safe." Aria initiated the call, her voice seemingly breaking.

"Oh Aria, I'm safe alright, but Ash, he... is in the emergency room right now." Serena continued to cry after Shauna called her.

"Oh my, how t-tragic..." Aria could only respond as she, too, ended up crying and hung up.

**06:00 KDT **[18:00 AST]  
**Lumiose Gym, Lumiose City, Kalos calling Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

"What?! No way! Ash got injured during the earthquake?!" Clemont jumped off his seat, almost in tears and startled as he saw the morning news which covered the disaster in Alola.

"Big brother, what's going on?" as Bonnie entered where he was. "Bonnie, look." Clemont responded, as Bonnie viewed the news of Ash's injury.

"I better call Serena. I remembered her mom telling me she's visiting Alola." Clemont immediately got out his phone to call Serena. He made three failed attempts to contact her. He finally managed to contact her on his fourth attempt.

"Hello, Serena? It's Clemont. How are you doing over there?." as Clemont began the call, worried upon hearing Serena crying after Aria's call.

"I-I'm fine, Clemont, but Ash is in the emergency room right now." Serena tearfully responded.

"Oh, I see, well, we'll do our best to try and get there as soon as we could." as Clemont ended the call, not wanting to distress Serena any further. "Oh, Bonnie." as Clemont turned to his younger sister, comforting her after seeing her cry in reaction to the news, though he was himself in tears.

**06:00 KDT **[18:00 AST]  
**Kalos**

As the Performers all watched the news from their respective homes, each had a different reaction to Ash's injury. "This boy..., wasn't he Serena's good friend?" Blanche said, crying upon hearing the news of her fellow Performer's friend's injury. "Oh no..." was all Concetta could say as she watched the news. "This is bad..." as Amelia teared up. Shulin, Clarice, Lily, Kazalie, Alouette and Elma all couldn't say anything and began to tear up. "Wasn't he the boy with his Pikachu?" was Sara Lee's tearful reaction upon hearing the tragedy of a good friend of her fellow Performer. "Oh Ash... I can't imagine how Serena's feeling right now." as Nini began to cry upon hearing the news.

**06:00 KDT** [18:00 AST]  
**Serena's House, Vaniville Town, Kalos calling Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

As Grace read the morning newspaper, she was shocked to see the news of a disaster in Alola. Upon reading this, Grace then decided to call her daughter, making four failed attempts to call, succeeding on her fifth attempt.

"Hello, sweetie. It's Mom. How are things there in Alola?" Grace began as she called her daughter. "Mom! Things aren't going too w-well here." as Serena continued crying after Clemont hung up. "I've read the news already. It's good that you're safe, dear." Grace could only respond. "Y-yes, I may be s-safe, but Ash is in the e-emergency room as of the moment." Serena tearfully replied. "Well, bye sweetie, we'll make sure to get there as soon as we can." as Grace ended the call, herself almost in tears.


	8. Memories Through Tears

**Chapter 8: Memories Through Tears**

* * *

**Monday, June 17, 19:05 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

The doctors had finished operating on the patients. Lusamine, Hobbes, and Abe were all moved to wards, but the doctors determined Ash's injuries as too severe, so they moved him to the intensive care unit.

Hobbes had a few wounds from the fallen chandelier. Abe had suffered various wounds all over his body due to a gas explosion. Lusamine had only a minor head injury.

Ash's injuries were worse as he had a skull fracture and multiple wounds from having a bookshelf fall on him as he protected Harper and Sarah.

As soon as Abe got to his ward, Mallow then followed in. Much to Mallow's relief, Abe managed to regain consciousness as he heard his daughter crying.

Lillie then went to Hobbes. He, too, was able to regain consciousness after the operation. She then immediately let him rest before following Gladion into their mother's ward.

Fortunately for both Lillie and Gladion, their mother was also able to regain consciousness after the operation.

After a few tearful conversations, Mallow, Lillie and Gladion all left the wards and allowed both Abe and Lusamine to rest for the night.

**19:37 AST**

The doctors then gave everyone the go signal to visit Ash in the intensive care unit. Unlike Abe, Hobbes, and Lusamine, Ash slipped into a coma as an effect of a skull fracture.

Pikachu was with Ash as he was wheeled into the intensive care unit. As Pikachu watched over Ash in the intensive care unit, he then recalled all the time he had spent with Ash, including him first meeting Ash, the two encountering a flock of Spearow, his first battle, all his battles, all his Ultra Guardian missions, and the time where the two were alone on Treasure Island.

Sophocles visited first. As he looked at Ash, he soon began to reminisce about the good times the two had together.

_FLASHBACK (Sophocles)_

_His first memory was of meeting Ash after he got run over by three Tauros that he, Mallow, and Lana were riding._

_Next up was the memory of Ash and him competing to see who could pop the most balloons with their Pokémon. During that competition, he and his Togedemaru won._

_The next scene was of him and Ash at the mall, eating ice cream together and later on confronting Team Rocket together._

_After that was him remembering the first time Ash visited him at his house to strategize against Tapu Koko._

_Following that was the memory of a camp-out where he and Ash both got drained by Morelull._

_Next up was the memory of him, Ash, and Kiawe winning the Charjabug Race._

_The next memory was of their third mission as Ultra Guardians, where Ash and Sophocles battled the Xurkitree together._

_The memory of him and his classmates watching the Minior shower and finally getting over the death of a Minior friend then played._

_The next memory that played was him, Ash, and Lillie getting shrunken by Faba's failed shrink ray._

_He then remembered their trip to Pokémon Paradise Resort._

_Soon after was Ash consoling him after his loss in that quiz show and him celebrating along with his friends after winning the Vikavolt Race._

_Following that was him, Ash, and Kiawe training to use Savage Spin-Out._

_Finally, the memory of him showing his inventions to the gang last Saturday then played out._

_END OF FLASHBACK (Sophocles)_

**19:48 AST**

"Get well soon, Ash. Here's to more good times with you" he could only say before he got emotional.

Kiawe and Mimo visited after Sophocles left. As the two looked at Ash, Kiawe began to tear up as he reminisced about good times with Ash.

_FLASHBACK (Kiawe)_

_The first memory he ever had of Ash was his helping him out with the Team Skull grunts._

_After that, he then remembered the moment Ash got his Z-Ring and the first time Ash used a Z-Move, against Tapu Koko of all Pokémon._

_Next up was when Ash first visited the farm and met Mimo and his parents._

_What followed was DJ Leo's Dugtrio concert, then a montage of his battles with Ash, most of which were for training. These battles included Ash training his Litten, which has since evolved into a Torracat, to master Fire Fang, Kiawe's training of Turtonator in order to defeat the Marowak that stole the Wela Crown, which later joined him after its defeat, and his training of Marowak in order to protect the ranch from Viren and his lackeys. _

_He then remembered their first Ultra Guardians mission, where he flexed along with Ash and Pikachu in order to distract Buzzwole, and their fourth Ultra Guardians mission, where he and Ash came up with a strategy to calm Stakataka down._

_Following that, he remembered the trip to Pokémon Paradise Resort._

_Next was the memory of him, Ash, and Mimo as they visited the Pikachu Valley._

_After that was their encounter with Tapu Fini on Poni Island._

_The battle he and Ash had against the gym leader Ryuki then replayed._

_After that came him and Ash helping Sophocles master his Z-Move._

_Concluding Kiawe's flashback were memories of Ash introducing him and his family to Serena and the time at the Pokémon School where he and Ash both showed their Z-Moves together._

_END OF FLASHBACK (Kiawe)_

**19:58 AST**

"I know you're strong, my battle brother. Let's continue battling together when you get well." as Kiawe looked at Ash's bandaged body. "Hang in there, big bro." Mimo could only speak out as both got emotional.

After the two left, Gladion entered.

He, too, began to recall good times with Ash.

_FLASHBACK (Gladion)_

_Gladion's first memory of Ash was their first meeting, having a Pokémon battle._

_Next up was their meeting on Ten Carat Hill after Ash was teleported there by Nebby, the Cosmog Ash had taken care of._

_He then remembered their mission together to rescue Lusamine from the Nihilego possessing her._

_The best memory he had was when Ash rescued him after getting knocked off his Ride Noivern._

_Next up was when they fought Necrozma together in order to return its light._

_Following that was the memory of Ash from when they battled using both their Lycanroc._

_Then came him being introduced to Serena by Ash._

_His final memory of Ash was the two boys, Lillie, Mallow, and Serena eating together at Aina's Kitchen._

_END OF FLASHBACK (Gladion)_

**20:04 AST**

"Do not desert me, my brother in arms. Get well soon." Gladion could only say the bare minimum as he saw someone who was like a brother to him in such a state, with him unable to hold back his tears.

As soon as Gladion had finished, Mallow came in. "Oh Ash..." as tears flowed from her eyes and memories started to play.

_FLASHBACK (Mallow)_

_She and Ash first met after he got run over by three Tauros that she, Lana, and Sophocles were riding. After clearing up the misunderstanding, she then took Ash by the wrist to guide him around the Pokémon School, mistaking him for a new student._

_Of all the class, she was the first to meet Ash's mother, and was ultimately one of those who managed to convince Ash to attend the Pokémon School. _

_The class then held a welcome party for Ash and witnessed him battle Tapu Koko and use a Z-Move for the first time._

_She then remembered the time they went to the forest together and her witnessing Ash catching his first Pokémon in Alola, his Rowlet. _

_Afterwards, the moments of her and Ash helping Lillie take care of the egg entrusted to her and helping Lillie get along with her recently-hatched Snowy came up._

_Next up was the memory of her, Ash, and Lana as they looked for Rowlet and Popplio after Bounsweet accidentally ended up getting Rowlet and Popplio in one of the latter's balloons._

_What followed was her memory of Ash and the gang trying out the stew electrified by Pikachu's Thunderbolt and Ash helping her look for Yellow Nectar to make the proper Alolan Mythical Stew, including both witnessing Bounsweet evolving into Steenee._

_After that was when she, Lillie, and Lana dragged Ash with them as the three girls shopped for accessories._

_She then looked back to the time where she accompanied Ash into Lush Jungle and witnessed him defeat the Lurantis. _

_The next memory was yet another adventure with Lana and Ash as they reunited with Grandpa Forest, the Drampa they met in their childhood._

_She then remembered a happy memory of her, Lillie, and Lana finding Ash in a female nurse outfit and her idea of giving him a makeover when they had to substitute for Nurse Joy when she got sick._

_This was soon followed by the class helping her and Ulu out with the Alola Bread contest._

_Next up was the trip to Pokémon Paradise Resort._

_After that was her complimenting Poipole's final goodbye to Ash and Pikachu._

_The next was Ash complimenting her performance in the TV show The Refreshing Trio: Alola Idols._

_Following that was her encounter with Team Rocket, assisted by Ash and Lana._

_Next was Ash and the others helping out at Aina's Kitchen as she helped Oranguru at his restaurant._

_The next memory that played was of her, Gladion, Ash, Lillie, and Serena all eating together at the restaurant._

_Mallow's flashback concluded with her watching Ash, Lillie, and Serena battle at the Pokémon School._

_END OF FLASHBACK (Mallow)_

**20:26 AST**

"N-now that I know what I'm without, don't just leave me, Ash!" Mallow tearfully screamed after reminiscing about their good times together, "Get well soon" as Mallow calmed down a bit and kissed his right cheek, leaving some of her tears on his cheek in the process.

As soon as Mallow left, Lana and her sisters then entered.

"B-big brother Ash, thank you for saving us when that bookshelf was about to fall on us." Harper tearfully thanked Ash as she got onto the right side of the bed where Ash lay. "Big brother, please wake up, even if it's just for our big sister." Sarah pleaded, also tearfully, as she got on the side opposite Harper, taking notice of the tubes connected to him.

Lana, however, was too saddened by Ash's sacrifice to be embarrassed by Sarah's words. The three then began to reminisce about the times they had been with Ash.

_FLASHBACK (Harper and Sarah)_

_The twins remembered first meeting Ash as he first visited Lana to borrow a fishing rod. The two were "playing" with Pikachu, with them asking their older sister if Ash was their boyfriend._

_Next was the two at the Pokémon School during the Open House._

_After that was the Pokémon Dance, where the twins told Ash that their technique was a secret, even if Ash was their big sister's boyfriend._

_Following that was the fun they had at the haunted house organized by Ash and the gang._

_The two then remembered their first meeting with Serena._

_Their last good memory of Ash was watching the episode where Lana, Lillie and Mallow appeared in The Refreshing Trio: Alola Idols, ten minutes before the earthquake struck._

_END OF FLASHBACK (Harper and Sarah)_

Tears continued to stream down Lana's cheeks as she recalled all the good times she had with Ash.

_FLASHBACK (Lana)_

_The first memory of Ash to come to Lana's mind was her accidentally fishing up Ash and Pikachu instead of a Bruxish as he fell off his Ride Sharpedo._

_She then remembered meeting Ash again at the Pokémon School when the Tauros she, Sophocles, and Mallow were riding ran over Ash._

_Following that, she remembered the day Ash first met her younger twin sisters and visited her home in order to borrow a fishing rod, while also remembering her younger sisters teasing her about Ash being her boyfriend._

_Next came the moment where she, Mallow, and Ash looked for Popplio and Rowlet after Bounsweet accidentally knocked Rowlet right into Popplio, resulting in both getting knocked into one of Popplio's balloons._

_She then reminisced about the time she, Lillie, and especially Mallow dragged Ash shopping with them for accessories._

_Following that was Olivia asking her if she was going out on a fishing date with Ash and then Ash helping her hook the School Forme Wishiwashi she was struggling to reel in._

_This was followed by the time Ash helped her and Mallow to reunite with Grandpa Forest, the Drampa they befriended when the two girls were younger._

_She then remembered the time where she, Lillie, and Mallow found Ash crossdressing and gave him a makeover._

_A second moment of her sisters shipping her with Ash was her next thought._

_The memories of the trip to the Pokémon Paradise Resort then came._

_Next up was the haunted house the class organized for her sisters._

_What followed was Ash helping her battle Team Skull in order to rescue Sandy, the Eevee she caught afterwards._

_After that was Ash complimenting her, Mallow's and Lillie's performances on The Refreshing Trio: Alola Idols._

_She then remembered herself and Ash battling Team Rocket in Malie City after encountering them._

_Next was her and Ash encountering and helping out a Kyogre that had been poisoned and was about to be taken by hunters, and Ash witnessing Lana now having a Primarina._

_Following that was Ash introducing her to Serena._

_Another moment of her sisters teasing her, this time upon meeting Serena, came._

_Her last good memory of Ash was the conversation she had with him and Serena as the three walked to the Pokémon School. _

_END OF FLASHBACK (Lana)_

**20:45 AST**

"Ash, you've been my guiding light. You've kept me company in my dark times. You've been my safety zone, somewhere I can go when I feel alone. That's all I need. All I want is for you to stay a little longer. I wish I could have done the same for you. Get well soon, my hero." Lana said as she kissed Ash's left cheek and stained it with her tears.

As the three sisters left Ash, Lillie then entered.

Immediately, she burst into tears as memories of her and Ash played out.

_FLASHBACK (Lillie)_

_She first recalled coming over to tend to Ash after he got run over by three Tauros and hiding behind him when one came near the two._

_She then remembered hooking up a Milotic and Ash and Lana coming to her aid, with Ash jumping off Lapras and getting hit below the belt by the Milotic._

_The memories she had with Ash and Mallow helping her out in taking care of the egg that would later hatch into Snowy then played back in her mind._

_Ash having Rowlet use Leafage to save her and Snowy then came into her mind._

_Following that was the memory of her, Lana, and especially Mallow dragging Ash and Pikachu with them as the three girls went shopping._

_She then recalled meeting Ash's mother at the Alolan Open House._

_After that was her reunion with Gladion and introducing him to Ash._

_She remembered their camping trip with Ash and the gang, and Ash's somewhat crazy idea to counteract the Morelull draining everybody by eating a lot of curry so the Morelull will only feed off his energy instead of the others'._

_She then remembered Professor Kukui's Pokémon swap assignment, where she took care of Pikachu while Ash took care of Snowy._

_After that came memories of the two taking care of Nebby._

_Ash was very supportive of her overcoming her fear of touching Pokémon. After she became afraid of touching Pokémon again, Ash was the one to try and cheer her up._

_This led to her remembering Ash and Gladion rescuing her and Nebby from Faba._

_Following that was her, Gladion, and all of the class helping out rescue her mother from the Nihilego possessing her._

_She also remembered witnessing Nebby evolve into a Solgaleo. As Ash offered him Star Candy, she fondly remembered Solgaleo giving Ash a good lick. She then requested to pet Solgaleo before they headed off into the Ultra Wormhole to rescue her mother._

_After Lusamine was successfully rescued, she then remembered herself thanking Ash before the rest of the gang for helping out in the rescue._

_Following that was when the class listened to Jigglypuff's song after Sophocles requested Rotom to replay the video, and as she fell asleep, she felt the warm sensation that was Ash's back._

_After that was when the class first travelled to Mount Lanakila, where she competed in the Pokémon Sled competition._

_Following that came the memory of her, Lana, and especially Mallow all giving Ash a makeover after they found him trying out Nurse Joy's uniform when they had to help out at the Pokémon Center._

_She then remembered the time Ash became Ash Royal as the Masked Royal's partner._

_After that was the adventure she had with Ash and Sophocles when Faba's failed shrink ray hit them._

_The next thought was that of the Pokémon Paradise Resort._

_After that was both her and Ash's mothers applauding for them during the school play._

_She then remembered heading off with Ash to Aether Paradise to deliver Professor Burnet's lunch._

_Next was their conversation as Rotom left Ash to become a star on the show Alolan Detective Laki._

_Following that was Ash complimenting her, Mallow, and Lana on their performance on The Refreshing Trio: Alola Idols._

_She then remembered Ash's words inspiring her to continue on with her Z-Move practice._

_After that was her first meeting with Serena._

_Her final memory of Ash was her, Serena, and Ash training to use Z-Moves and then battling along with Serena against Ash._

_END OF FLASHBACK (Lillie)_

**21:18 AST**

"Oh Ash, when I cried, you wiped away all of my tears. When I screamed, you fought away all of my fears. When I had been unsteady, I held on to you. Don't leave me, please!" as Lillie collapsed onto Ash's chest, crying her heart out and wetting his hospital gown with her tears. "Get well soon, my knight." She then kissed Ash on the forehead, causing some of her tears to fall into his eyes, and as she raised her head, some of her tears fell into his mouth.

Though Ash was still unconscious, her tears were still lingering in his mouth, so if he'd wake up the next day or a few hours after, he would feel bitterness and sweetness at once.

After Lillie tearfully left Ash's side, Serena and Rotom then entered.

Rotom immediately began scrolling through his pictures of Ash as he looked at Ash's bandaged body.

Upon seeing Ash in such a condition, Serena immediately burst into tears as memories of her and Ash began to play back in her mind.

_FLASHBACK (Serena)_

_"W-where is everybody? Where did you all go?" a young Serena said, frightened as she got lost in a forest while attending Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp. Suddenly, the bushes rustled. This scared Serena enough to try and run, only to trip and hurt her knee. A wild Poliwag then came out, scaring Serena even more._

_"I knew I didn't want to come to camp! I knew it!" as Serena began to cry. "Mommy!" She screamed out as she called for her mother._

_As the bushes rustled again, she could only close her eyes, let her tears flow, and hope for the best._

_A boy then emerged from the bushes, looking for the Poliwag._

_"Hey, are you alright?" The boy asked as he came upon Serena. Serena could only stare at the boy._

_"Hi! I'm Ash. Who are you? What's wrong?" as the boy introduced himself to Serena and asked her what's wrong._

_"I hurt... my leg." Serena tearfully answered Ash's question._

_"Don't worry! See this? This'll make it better." as Ash wrapped his handkerchief around Serena's injured knee. "All done!" as Ash finished._

_Serena then tried to move her leg, but she groaned in pain. "Now watch this! Feel better, feel better right away!" as Ash seemed to perform healing magic._

_"Ouch! It still hurts! I can't stand up!" as Serena attempted to stand._

_"Don't give up 'til it's over, OK? Come on" Ash replied as he held out his hand to help Serena stand._

_Serena timidly held out her hand. Ash then pulled her up with his strength._

_She then found herself falling into Ash's arms, as if she was being embraced by him. Slightly embarrassed, she pulled away slightly._

_"There you go!" as Ash smiled at her finally standing up._

_"I think we should be getting back to the campsite. OK, come on." Ash then led her by the hand out of the forest._

_Serena stared in awe at Ash's altruism as the two walked hand-in-hand back to the campsite._

_Years later, in Kalos, was the news flash about Ash trying to calm down a rampaging Garchomp on Prism Tower and him jumping off the tower to rescue Pikachu._

_She then remembered finally reuniting with Ash at the Santalune Gym and trying to get him to remember her._

_She remembered her happiness as Ash finally remembered her after returning the handkerchief he used to bandage her knee._

_Next was her teaching Ash how to ride a Rhyhorn._

_Following that, she then has a flashback of her giving him a pouch of cookies._

_Next on the memories was all the times Ash has rescued her from Team Rocket._

_She then recalled the time the rocks slipped at a cliff she was standing on. As she fell, Ash managed to grab Serena's arm, only to fall along with her._

_After that was when she and Ash were alone in Coumarine City, as she attempted to hold his hand._

_She then recalled receiving the blue ribbon she sports now as a gift from Ash._

_After Serena lost her first Showcase, she then decided to sport a new look, and recalled Ash's positive reaction._

_Following that was remembering Ash complimenting her and Bonnie when the two assisted Nurse Joy._

_After that was her and Ash battling Miette and James at the party._

_The next moment was of Ash falling ill after a night of intense training. As Ash emerged from his tent, he staggered and fell into Serena's arms and chest. "Now's the time," Ash said. He then holds her hand. "I... I..." Ash could only utter. "I... what?" Serena thought to herself and expected an "I love you", only for Ash to utter "Iron Tail, Pikachu" as he collapsed._

_As the punk rocker that was about to challenge Ash came, Serena quickly had a crazy idea to dress as him, apparently changing her clothes in the same tent he was resting in. Good for the two that Ash was resting, otherwise he would have had an eyeful._

_Following that, she immediately recalled her trying to snap Ash back to his senses after losing to Wulfric._

_"Leave me alone!" Ash shouted, still depressed after his loss._

_Suddenly, he was startled to see that Serena had thrown a snowball at him._

_"The Ash I know is full of energy. He's a leader, always tries his best, he's always positive, and he never gives up. He hangs in there to the very end!" she snapped back. _

_"You're not acting like the Ash I know! Stop! Give me back the real Ash! Because you sure aren't him!" Serena was almost in tears as she threw two more snowballs at him, knocking him over with the second one._

_She then remembered receiving the Kalos Medal of Honor along with Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Alain, and Mairin along with their Pokémon._

_Following that was her and Ash hanging out around Lumiose City and having a battle._

_The next flashback was the time they went their separate ways at Lumiose Interregional Airport._

_"Ash, thank you! I'm glad I came with you. You're the kind of person I want to be!" said Serena as she prepared to part ways with Ash._

_"Next time we meet, you're gonna like the kind of person I've grown into!" as Serena stated her goal to be better for Ash with a wink._

_"Awesome!" Ash could only reply._

_She then went down the escalator to part ways with Ash. Ash came forward, about to say his goodbyes._

_"Hey Ash! There's just one more thing!" as she mustered up her confidence._

_She then ran back up the escalator, and gave him a kiss on the lips._

_"Thank you!" was Serena's only statement for the greatest feeling she had from the boy she loved._

_"Take care of yourself, Serena!" Ash could only reply, somewhat showcasing either approval or his infamous density when it comes to romance._

_She then remembered her reunion with Ash in Alola, with Ash introducing her to his classmates and the famous places in Alola._

_Her final good memories were of her, Ash, and Lana talking as they headed to the Pokémon School, her receiving a Z-Ring and Z-Crystal from Tapu Lele and the battle she and Lillie had with Ash in order to practice their Z-Moves._

_END OF FLASHBACK (Serena)_

**22:00 AST**

"Say something, Ash! I feel like giving up! I'm sorry I couldn't get to you when the earthquake struck! You fought when you felt like flying. If 'I love you' was a promise, Ash, don't break it if you're honest. If you love me, Ash, don't let go!" Serena loudly screamed as she collapsed on Ash's chest, crying her heart out and wetting his hospital gown even more with her tears. "Thank you and get well soon, my love." Serena confessed as she tearfully kissed Ash on the lips, with her tears filling Ash's eyes once more, and as she lifted her head, Ash's mouth was filled once more, this time with Serena's tears.

If Ash were to wake up the next day or in a few hours, he would be in for a huge surprise. He would taste both bitterness and sweetness from Lillie's and Serena's tears.

Unlike the others, Serena and Rotom did not leave Ash's side. They did not even notice Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet entering.

Even Professor Kukui could not overlook the thought of his own student and someone who was like a son to him dying from his injuries. Professor Kukui also reminisced the time he had spent with Ash, including him catching Rockruff, and him as the Masked Royal teaming up with Ash, who became Ash Royal.

Serena then asked the two professors if she could stay by Ash's side for the night. They agreed.

**22:18 AST**

As soon as Professors Kukui and Burnet left Ash's side, the two were immediately asked by Lillie, who also wanted to be by Ash's side as she sensed Serena was alone. They agreed.

The atmosphere made it clear to them that this night was not a sleepover, and even though everyone tried their best to get to sleep, no one, not even Harper and Sarah, managed to sleep well or even at all.

**Tuesday, June 18, 00:00 AST**

Everyone was now fast asleep except for Mallow, Lana, Gladion, Harper, Sarah, Kiawe, Sophocles, and Professor Kukui, who were at the living area, and Rotom, Pikachu, Lillie and Serena, who were with Ash, all of whom were unable to sleep. Any attempts made by the four who were with Ash to sleep were prevented by either the beeping of the heart monitor where Ash was attached to or nightmares or worries of the heart monitor producing a consistent sound and flatlining, which would signal Ash's death.

"Can't sleep as well?" Mallow asked Gladion. "Big brother Gladion, look!" Harper and Sarah called out softly to Gladion as they saw something swoop by. It turned out to be Tapu Koko, who then entered the hospital and evacuation center.

"It's Tapu Koko!" Kiawe reacted as he saw him fly into the ICU.

"(Serena! Lillie! Look!)" as Pikachu noticed Tapu Koko getting into the ICU.

"It's Tapu Koko!" Rotom reacted as he saw Tapu Koko getting in.

As he saw Ash unconscious and hooked to various machines, this was all Tapu Koko could mutter out: "(It is hard to lose a chosen one. Alola shall mourn for him if he dies)".

Seeing Serena and Lillie unable to sleep moved him to join the two as well. "(There, there, girls)" as Tapu Koko attempted to comfort Serena and Lillie, who still had tears in their eyes as the possibility of Ash dying still crossed their minds.

"Oh, it's you, Tapu Koko." as Serena and Lillie noticed Tapu Koko's presence.

"(My chosen one. I shall have Tapu Lele heal him.)" Tapu Koko told Serena and Lillie.

Throughout the night, Serena, Lillie, Pikachu, Rotom and Tapu Koko all kept watch over Ash, hoping his condition would improve.

* * *

_**Footnotes for Chapter 8**_

_Mallow, Gladion, Lana, Lillie, Serena and Tapu Koko reference "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence, "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits, "The Ocean" by Mike Perry ft. Shy Martin, "My Immortal" by Evanescence and "Unsteady" by X Ambassadors, "Say Something" by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera, "idontwannabeyouanymore" by Billie Eilish and "Unsteady" by X Ambassadors, and "Elastic Heart" by Sia respectively._


	9. Let's Get Cracking!

**Chapter 9: Let's Get Cracking!**

* * *

**Tuesday, June 18, 15:00 KRT (Kanto Regional Time)** [Monday, June 17, 20:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Professor Oak's Laboratory, Pallet Town, Kanto**

At Kanto, Professor Oak at his laboratory was busy preparing something. Boxes of various sizes filled part of his laboratory, some were empty, some were filled with clothing and food. He had prepared his video camera as well. He then had Tracey film him.

He then gave a message for all of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh: "Good day, citizens of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh! I am Professor Oak, the Pokémon Professor for the Kanto region. As you have heard from the news, an earthquake struck Alola, and one of our very own trainers Ash Ketchum, was one of those injured during the earthquake. So, please, we need your help as we help out our fellow Pokémon trainers and people. We are now accepting donations at my laboratory here in Pallet Town. Kindly make your donations in cash or in kind. Part of the cash donations will also go to the Ketchum family and other affected families. Thank you."

**Tuesday, June 18, 10:22 KDT (Kalos Daylight Saving Time)** [Monday, June 17, 22:22 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Lumiose Gym, Lumiose City, Kalos**

"Big brother, what's with all these food?" Bonnie asked her older brother as she looked at him carrying two large boxes of canned food and other non-perishables before he got exhausted.

Clemont sighed at his own lack of stamina. "Bonnie, we're going to be donating these to Alola." as he answered Bonnie's question, still panting.

"I figured you're going to need help with that." Bonnie quickly pulled out a video camera.

Clemont wasn't the athletic type, and neither was he one to be comfortable in front of a camera.

But not this time, as he straightened himself up and bravely faced the camera in order to record a message that was to be broadcast to all of Kalos.

"Good day, citizens of Kalos! I am Clemont, the Gym Leader of Lumiose City. You may have heard about or read of the news that an earthquake had occurred in Alola. Two friends of mine: Serena, a Pokémon Performer, and Ash Ketchum, a Pokémon trainer and the runner-up to the Lumiose Conference, both of whom helped save this city are currently there. As you may have also heard about or read in the news, Ash was one of those injured. So, please, we need your help. We will be accepting donations at the Lumiose Gym at Prism Tower. Please make your donations in cash or in kind. The cash donations will go to each of the families of the people affected. Thank you."

**10:35 KDT** [Monday, 22:35 AST]  
**Professor Sycamore's Laboratory, Lumiose City, Kalos**

The siblings then got Professor Sycamore's permission to transmit the message to everyone on television.

Sure enough, Clemont's message got to everyone in Kalos.

**10:48 KDT** [Monday, 22:48 AST]  
**Lumiose Gym, Lumiose City, Kalos**

As soon as the siblings got to the Lumiose City Gym, they ran into Korrina.

"Hey Korrina!" Clemont greeted his fellow Gym Leader. "You must have seen my message." he added.

"Yeah." Korrina replied. "I feel bad for Serena right now, knowing how much she likes Ash." as she shed a few tears.

She donated a large box full of canned goods. Korrina then decided to help out the siblings with their efforts in receiving the donations.

The three prepared a plastic box which came from Clemont's supply closet at the gym to hold the cash donations in.

**10:53 KDT **[Monday, 22:53 AST]

Ramos then came on his Gogoat, which drove a cart containing three large crates of Berries.

"Here, donate these Berries to our fellows in Alola" as Ramos handed the Berries to the three.

"Thanks, Ramos" as Clemont thanked his fellow Gym Leader for the donation.

**10:57 KDT **[Monday, 22:57 AST]

As Ramos left, Viola and Grant came to the gym.

"We heard your message, Clemont." Viola said. "Here's some cash to help out our fellows in Alola." said Grant as he and Viola handed him some cash. Clemont then put the cash in the box he, Bonnie and Korrina prepared.

**11:02 KDT **[Monday, 23:02 AST]

Valerie immediately came along with her four assistants. "Valerie!" Clemont called out to her. "Oh my! That's a lot of boxes you've got there!" as he looked at the many, many boxes she and her assistants were carrying.

"These are old clothes and designs and some food, but they're still in good condition. Thought the people in Alola would need these." said Valerie as she handed her box to Clemont. Bonnie and Korrina helped receive the other boxes.

"Thanks, Valerie." said Clemont, thanking his fellow Gym Leader for the generous donation.

"Have you also checked on how Serena's doing?" Valerie asked. "Yeah. She is unhurt, but she may have difficulty coping with Ash's injury. When I called to check on her, she was crying throughout the call." Clemont morosely replied. "You know how much she likes, or perhaps even loves Ash." Bonnie added to her brother's reply. "I do hope Ash recovers, I feel for Serena right now, especially after I called her earlier." Valerie said as she shed a few tears.

**11:11 KDT **[Monday, 23:11 AST]

As soon as Valerie left, Serena's mother Grace came as well, carrying a box of more clothes.

"Miss Grace!" Bonnie called out. "Bonnie! Clemont! It's good to see you two." as Grace headed to where Bonnie and Clemont were standing. "I'm just glad Serena's fine there in Alola." Grace expressed her relief to the two on hearing her daughter's safety.

"Yeah. Ash wasn't so lucky, however." Clemont sadly answered. "Yep, here's hoping Ash gets well soon." Grace added. After handing Korrina the box, Grace left.

**11:18 KDT **[Monday, 23:18 AST]

A group then came to Lumiose Gym. It was Miette, Shauna, Aria, Tierno, Trevor, and Sawyer, with Tierno carrying most of the boxes. "Woah, Tierno! That's a lot you've got there!" Clemont commented as the group approached them, seeing Tierno carrying a noticeably larger load than the rest. "Yep! All for the people of Alola." Tierno replied.

"This was mostly Tierno's idea" Shauna added.

"Hey Clemont, have you checked on how Serena is?" Miette asked the Gym Leader. "Yeah, Miette. She wasn't hurt, but she's not coping well with Ash's injury." was Clemont's answer to the blue-haired Performer's question, his expression changing to one of sadness.

"She was crying when I called her. She must have been really devastated to see Ash unconscious and heavily wounded." he continued.

"Oh, th-that's awful. H-how c-could this h-happen to such a s-strong t-trainer as A-Ash?" Aria could only tearfully ask. Miette, Shauna, and Sawyer were also in tears upon hearing of Serena's status and Ash's injury, while Korrina, Tierno and Trevor simply had sad looks on their faces, themselves struggling to hold back tears.

"H-He was always the one to comfort Serena whenever she felt sad." Miette tearfully lamented the fact that Ash could not comfort her at this time, as he had fallen into a coma.

"H-He was also a good friend. Always ready to help out, and ready to put his life on the line, whether for Pokémon or for his friends." Shauna tearfully added.

"He e-even was the one who taught me good battling strategies." Sawyer tearfully commented on Shauna's statement about Ash's altruism.

"Now, let's remember, does Ash ever give up until it's over?" Bonnie screamed out like a military drill sergeant.

"No!" Everyone but Clemont responded, though Miette, Shauna, and Aria were still wiping away their tears.

"I see. If Ash doesn't ever give up until it's over, then neither should we!" Clemont then proclaimed in a similar tone as his younger sister.

"Yeah!" everyone shouted in response.

All six remained with Clemont, Korrina, and Bonnie to help out in receiving and packing the donations.

**12:00 KDT** [Tuesday, June 18, 00:00 AST]

Just when more donations started coming in, Clemont was then messaged by Professor Sycamore.

The message told him to deliver the goods to the Unova region, since the airport leading to the Alola region was closed.

"Alright, looks like it's time to send another message." Clemont said as he saw the huge amounts of donations.

Bonnie prepped the video camera once more.

"Hello once again, citizens of Kalos! I'm Clemont, the Lumiose City Gym Leader." Clemont began his second message, introducing himself.

"I'm Korrina, the Shalour City Gym Leader." added Korrina, introducing herself.

"and I'm Aria, the Kalos Queen." added Aria, also introducing herself.

"We would like to thank anyone who has donated to the Lumiose Gym, but these goods aren't going to donate themselves, so I'm calling all Gym Leaders, Pokémon Performers, and anyone willing to come to the Lumiose Gym at 2 PM. We will meet as to how we're going to get these goods to the Unova region." Clemont added.

"For those who haven't donated yet, you can still come to Lumiose Gym and donate in cash or in kind until 2 PM." Korrina added.

"So, please, let us help our fellow Pokémon Trainers and people in Alola. Part of the cash donations will also go to the Ketchum family, to cover for Ash's medical expenses. Thank you." as Aria concluded the message.

**13:00 KDT** [01:00 AST]

After the nine had lunch inside the Lumiose Gym, a group of four then came up.

"Professor Sycamore! Alain! Mairin! I see Aliana's now working with you guys as well." Clemont called out, with Alain and Aliana carrying a couple of boxes.

"Oh hey! Clemont! Korrina!" Alain called out

Shauna received the boxes Aliana was carrying and Sawyer received all but one of the boxes Alain was carrying.

"Clemont, I've seen how determined you are to help the people in Alola. Here, take this cash." as Professor Sycamore handed Clemont a bag of cash.

"Thanks, Professor!" said Clemont as he received the cash and put it in the box. "That's for Ash's medical expenses. I heard he got injured during the earthquake." Professor Sycamore added.

"How's Serena?" Mairin asked. "She didn't get hurt, but I don't think she's fine right now." Bonnie answered, with a sad look on her face. "As Clemont called her, Serena was crying the entire time, very devastated over what happened to Ash." Korrina added, with her expression also changing into one of sadness.

"H-he saved Chespie, didn't he?" Mairin began to tear up. "Yes, Mairin." as Alain proceeded to comfort her, although he, too, looked like he was about to cry.

"I still vividly remember him telling me to never give up." Alain said as he recalled his inspiration.

"That's what we should be doing right now, correct?" Alain asked Clemont.

"Right you are about that!" Clemont responded.

"Seeing your determination to help out your friends in Alola, I'm inspired! Allow us to help you, then!" Professor Sycamore

The four then helped out with receiving donations from the people in Kalos.

**14:00 KDT** [02:00 AST]

The Gym Leaders, along with Meyer, Grace, Diantha, Nini, Bryony, Celosia, Mable, Xerosic, Malva, Alexa, Gurkinn, Valerie's assistants, Olympia's assistants, Amelia, Blanche, Alouette, Elma, Sara Lee, Lily, Concetta, Kazalie, Clarice, Shulin, and those who helped out earlier all gathered outside Lumiose Gym.

"Just these people?" as Clemont noticed only those people coming up. "OK, people, you can get in." seeing the gym had enough room for all of them.

Everyone then entered Prism Tower. "Aliana, please record the minutes of this meeting." Professor Sycamore requested. "Will do!" Aliana obliged to become the secretary.

Professor Sycamore initiated the meeting, not forgetting to thank Clemont for the idea of spearheading donations.

"That's my boy." Meyer proclaimed, happy with his son's willingness.

Professor Sycamore then turned everyone over to Clemont.

The crowd applauded as Clemont stepped forward.

"For those who don't know me, I'm Clemont, the Lumiose City Gym Leader. As I heard the news of the earthquake, specifically the news Ash got injured during the earthquake, I couldn't help but look back to the time I had spent with Ash as we travelled through this region. He was a friend who never gave up until the very end, was an inspiration to other Pokémon trainers, always fought for what was right and was prepared to lay down his life for his friends, whether Pokémon or human. Remembering these aspects of his personality, I thought of spearheading collecting donations for the people of Alola. To those who donated, thank you."

Almost everyone was moved to tears by Clemont's words.

Clemont then announced that the Lumiose Power Plant allowed them to borrow eight choppers.

Xerosic then suggested that he add the news helicopter he was piloting.

"This operation isn't easy, so we'll need to be communicating with each other a lot. With that, we'll require a team coordinator. I'll begin nominations. I'm nominating Diantha to be Team Coordinator." added Clemont, nominating Diantha to lead the team.

"Clemont, I'd like to, but I think it would be better if you were the Team Coordinator instead." Diantha responded to the nomination by nominating Clemont for Team Coordinator.

"I second the motion." Meyer added.

Professor Sycamore then decided to have an impromptu voting.

"Alright, people. How about we vote? All in favor of having Clemont as Team Coordinator, raise your hands." All in presence, except for Professor Sycamore and Clemont himself, raised their hands.

"Well, that's settled. Clemont, you are now our official Team Coordinator." Professor Sycamore named Clemont Team Coordinator.

"Thanks guys! Now let's get back, where were we?" Clemont thanked everyone before proceeding to resume the meeting.

"Oh yeah, we shall now discuss the timing. We will be expecting our choppers at 3:00. We'll then start loading the goods. By 4:00 we head off for Unova. Is this good with you guys?"

"Yeah." everyone screamed out in agreement.

"Alright, then let's get cracking!" Clemont loudly proclaimed the start of their relief efforts.

**Tuesday, June 18, 08:00 UDT (Unova Daylight Saving Time)** [Tuesday, June 18, 02:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Striaton Gym, Striaton City, Unova**

As Iris, Chili and Cress woke up, they noticed Cilan already having gone off to the supermarket to buy some things. He left a note stating that he was out to prepare his donations for the victims of the earthquake in Alola. The three could only smile upon reading the note.

The three, inspired by Cilan's actions, then dug into the gym's supply closet to pull out a huge, empty cardboard box for cash donations.

**08:17 UDT** [02:17 AST]  
**Supermarket, Nacrene City, Unova**

At the supermarket, Cilan, who was already struggling with his shopping cart, unexpectedly ran into Elesa.

"Elesa! Fancy seeing you here." Cilan greeted his fellow Gym Leader.

"Oh hey Cilan! What's with the canned goods?" Elesa greeted as she noticed the canned goods and other food that filled Cilan's cart.

"Have you heard the news of the earthquake in Alola?" Cilan asked Elesa. "Yeah. I've heard your friend Ash got injured during the quake." she replied, with a slightly saddened look on her face.

"Mmhmm. Remembering Ash made me think of donating to Alola." Cilan stated.

"Well, what a coincidence! I'd thought of donating too!" Elesa chimed.

"I better get going, my brothers and Iris must be waiting." as Cilan parted with Elesa for the time being and headed for the checkout counter.

**08:35 UDT **[02:35 AST]  
**Striaton Gym, Striaton City, Unova**

Cilan then returned carrying a huge box of canned goods.

"I admit, brother, travelling with Ash must have had a big influence on you, huh?" Chili quipped as he noticed Cilan.

"Well, we've got you covered for the cash donations." Cress and Iris added, showing Cilan a cardboard box with some cash in it.

"Yeah, but I don't think our efforts alone are enough." Cilan stated. "Let's head to Nimbasa City, perhaps we'll have better luck there." he added.

**09:00 UDT **[03:00 AST]  
**Nimbasa Gym, Nimbasa City, Unova**

The four headed off to Nimbasa City, and headed to the Nimbasa City Gym. They were soon met by Elesa.

"I see you haven't had much luck back at Striaton?" Elesa asked. "Nope." The four responded.

"Perhaps I and the other Gym Leaders could help." Elesa gave her proposal.

"That would be a great idea!" Iris said in agreement.

Iris, Cress, and Chili then set up a video camera to allow Elesa and Cilan to send out a message.

"Good day, citizens of Unova. I am Elesa, the Nimbasa City Gym Leader." Elesa initiated.

"and I'm Cilan, the Striaton City Gym Leader along with my brothers." Cilan added.

"We've decided to start collecting donations to help our fellow people in Alola. We are accepting donations in cash or in kind." Elesa added.

"As you may have heard or read in the news, Alola was hit by an earthquake. One of those injured is my friend, Ash Ketchum. He is a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town, but he's no ordinary Trainer. He has been an inspiration to many trainers around the regions, including me. So, please, help your fellow men and women in Alola and donate any of used clothes still in good condition, non-perishable food, or cash." Cilan appealed to the masses.

"Most of the cash donations will go to the affected families in Alola." Elesa added.

"Thank you." both concluded the message.

Elesa then sent Professor Juniper the video to allow broadcast to all of Unova.

**09:26 UDT **[03:26 AST]

After quite a bit of waiting and receiving cash donations and some donations in kind, the five spotted Roxie, the Virbank City Gym Leader, along with her band.

"Hi Roxie!" Elesa called out to Roxie. "I see you brought the entire band with you." she said as she noticed the band accompanying Roxie.

"Yeah. Here, we'll be donating these Pecha Berries." as Roxie and the band handed Cilan, Chili and Cress three boxes of Pecha Berries.

"Thanks, Roxie!" Iris thanked her.

"Say, what happened to Ash was kind of t-tragic, huh?" as Roxie spoke to the gang, almost in tears.

"You said it." Iris replied morosely.

"I'll admit, I've been inspired by him since he defeated me and earned the Toxic Badge from me. Perhaps we and Burgh could help with the cash donations." Roxie then turned to Elesa.

"Good idea." was the response she got from all five.

"Great! Since Virbank City's far from where most of Unova lives, how about we hold it right here in Nimbasa City?" she proposed.

She got the same response from the rest.

**09:36 UDT **[03:36 AST]

Iris, Cilan, Chili, Cress, Roxie, and Elesa were startled by Bianca, Professor Juniper's assistant and Ash's friend.

"Look out! Look out! Look out!" said Bianca as she ran towards the group, carrying a box of donations. Unlike when Ash was with the group, she managed to stop in her tracks. She then looked around and saw that no one got knocked into a nearby fountain.

"Man, things just don't feel the same without Ash." Bianca tearfully lamented. "Hope he gets well soon." she added.

"Yeah, we're all hoping he gets better soon." Iris replied, comforting Bianca.

Bianca then decided to stay with the group.

**09:43 UDT **[03:43 AST]

Minutes after Bianca arrived, Professor Juniper caught up with the group, also carrying a box of goods.

"Hey Professor!" Iris greeted.

"Hello everyone!" Professor Juniper greeted the group. "I see you've got quite a number of boxes already." as she noticed the donations collected so far.

"Mmhmm. Quite a lot of people have donated before you got here." Chili responded.

Professor Juniper then decided to help the group out with collecting donations.

**09:48 UDT **[03:48 AST]

Roxie then texted Burgh. After a few minutes, Burgh arrived.

"Finally, Burgh's here!" Roxie called out, noticing Burgh, looking a bit exhausted and carrying a box of clothing.

Burgh let out a sigh of exhaustion after getting to the group.

"Sorry I took so long, guys. Had to travel here all the way from Nacrene City." he explained.

"Nevertheless, here. Accept this as my donation to help out the Alolan people." he said as he handed Iris his box.

"Now, as for Roxie's proposal. Admittedly, I thought of the same thing. After I heard the news, I remembered how Ash and the gang helped me take care of the Venipede. I better get cracking." Burgh then left for Castelia City after he handed his box.

**10:00 UDT **[04:00 AST]

As Burgh left them, Elesa suddenly got a text from her friend Skyla, informing her that choppers handling the relief goods from Kalos will be landing near Mistralton Gym at 12 PM and a truck handling relief goods from Kanto will arrive at 1:45.

"How about we get to Mistralton City." Elesa called out to the rest.

"Perhaps it's time to get this party started!" Roxie excitedly strummed her guitar, ready to perform a benefit concert.

"See you, then." Iris, Cilan, Chili, Cress, Bianca, Elesa, and Professor Juniper headed for Mistralton City, carrying the relief goods and cash with them using Cilan's Crustle.

**10:42 UDT **[04:42 AST]  
**Mistralton Gym, Mistralton City, Unova**

The seven then got to Mistralton Gym, carrying their relief goods and cash donations.

"Hello there, Skyla." Cilan greeted. "I see you've also prepared your donations." as he noticed the boxes of relief goods in front of her hangar.

"Yep." Skyla replied. "It is kind of sad though, hearing Ash got injured. He was one of those who inspired me to have actual Gym Battles instead of Air Battles." she tearfully mentioned Ash getting injured.

"Skyla, if you don't mind, we'll be continuing collecting donations here. It's quite a stretch to have to go back to Nimbasa City." Elesa asked her friend's permission to continue collecting donations here.

"No problem, Elesa, Cilan, Professor." Skyla replied.

"Alright then, let's send out another message to the people." as Elesa planned to send another message stating to have donations collected at Mistralton City.

"Good day, everyone. I'm Cilan, the Striaton City Gym Leader." Cilan initiated.

"I'm Elesa, the Nimbasa City Gym Leader." Elesa introduced.

"I'm Skyla, the Mistralton City Gym Leader." Skyla added.

"and I'm Iris, Cilan's friend." Iris introduced.

"To those who donated to us at Nimbasa City, thanks a lot." as Elesa thanked the audience.

"You can still donate to Nimbasa City in cash or in kind, as Roxie is currently holding a benefit concert for the people of Alola." Cilan added.

"Burgh is also holding an exhibit of his sketches at Castelia City. You may also donate there, whether in cash or in kind." Iris announced.

"We are now collecting donations at Mistralton City, again in cash or in kind." Skyla announced.

"All donations at Castelia and Nimbasa Cities will be delivered here by 2 PM, so please make your donations before that time." Iris added.

"Thank you for your generosity, everyone. Let us continue helping our sisters and brothers in Alola." as Cilan concluded the message.

Elesa then sent the video to her online page for all of Unova to see.

**Tuesday, June 18, 14:58 KRT (Kanto Regional Time) **[Monday, June 17, 20:22 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Professor Oak's Laboratory, Pallet Town, Kanto**

Back at Kanto, Whitney and Jasmine came to give their donations.

"Professor Oak?" as Jasmine knocked on the door.

The door was opened for the two Gym Leaders. "Ah, Whitney, Jasmine. Come in. You must be tired after getting here from Johto." Professor Oak greeted.

"Thanks, Professor." the two thanked him as they entered.

"Here, Professor. This Moomoo Milk is for the people in Alola." said Whitney as she handed over her donations to Professor Oak.

"This crate of berries as well, Professor." Jasmine added as she handed over her donations.

They then stayed for a few minutes before heading back to Johto.

**15:22 KRT** [Monday, 20:22 AST]  
**Professor Oak's Laboratory, Pallet Town, Kanto**

Brock, Misty and Delia came to the laboratory to donate. As Brock knocked on the door, "Brock! Misty! Ma'am! So good of you to come. We've already got quite a lot of donations, so I'm needing your help." as Tracey opened the door for them.

"We'll be glad to help." Brock and Misty declared as they added their own donations to the boxes.

**Tuesday, June 18, 15:30 HRT (Hoenn Regional Time)** [Monday, June 17, 20:30 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**May and Max's House, Petalburg City, Hoenn**

As May and Max finished packing their donations, May received an email.

Opening her email account, she read what was there, "May, this is Professor Oak. You may have heard about the earthquake in Alola and the news about Ash getting hurt. Being a good friend of Ash, you might want to see how he's doing. Now, we are collecting donations at my laboratory, and we have got quite a lot. We will need help transporting all these goods to Unova since the airport in Alola is not in operation. A helicopter will arrive to pick you and Max up in a few minutes."

A few minutes passed, and a chopper indeed came to pick the two up.

**Tuesday, June 18, 15:30 SRT (Sinnoh Regional Time)** [Monday, June 17, 20:30 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Dawn's House, Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh**

Over at Sinnoh, as Dawn, her Piplup and Johanna finished preparing their donations, Dawn received an email.

Dawn looked into her inbox and read the email. "Dawn, this is Professor Oak. You may have heard about the earthquake in Alola and the news of Ash getting hurt. Being Ash's good friend, you might want to see how he's doing. Now, we are collecting donations at my laboratory, and we have already gotten a lot. We will need help transporting all these goods to Unova since the airport in Alola is not in operation. A helicopter will arrive to pick you up in a few minutes."

A few minutes passed, and surely, a chopper arrived to pick up Dawn and Piplup.

**Tuesday, June 18, 15:54 KRT (Kanto Regional Time)** [Monday, June 17, 20:54 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Professor Oak's Laboratory, Pallet Town, Kanto**

"Dawn, May, Max, I see you've read my email." Professor Oak greeted the three as they got off the helicopters, bringing their donations.

"Come, we'll need quite a lot of helping hands at the lab." he invited the three to his lab.

"Oh hey! Dawn! May! Max! Good to see you again!" as Brock opened the door, with Misty behind him. Brock turned to Misty, who only recognized Max and May, "Oh, I see you haven't met Dawn." Brock added. "Hi, my name's Dawn." Dawn said, introducing herself to Misty. "Nice to meet you, Dawn. I'm Misty." Misty replied, introducing herself to Dawn.

"Come in! We'll need quite a lot of help around here." Brock invited.

All of them then got to work with the donations.


	10. Relief Efforts

**Chapter 10: Relief Efforts**

* * *

**Tuesday, June 18, 15:00 KDT (Kalos Daylight Saving Time) **[Tuesday, June 18, 03:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Lumiose Gym, Lumiose City, Kalos**

"Alright! There's our ride." as Clemont noticed the choppers descending to their location.

"Let's get loading!" he commanded, initiating the loading of the goods to the choppers.

Nine pallets of goods were attached to the winches of the choppers. Seeing their number, he decided to call for another impromptu meeting.

Diantha, Alexa, and Malva headed for the helicopter Xerosic was piloting, with Diantha leading communications.

Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Linnea, Kali, and Sawyer occupied a helicopter from the Lumiose Power Plant. Sawyer took initiative with the communication from their group.

Professor Sycamore, Alain, Mairin, Gurkinn, and Nini occupied a second helicopter, with Professor Sycamore leading communications from their chopper.

Viola, Grant, Wulfric, Olympia, Carrie and Charlene occupied a third helicopter, with Olympia handling communications.

Valerie, Meyer, Grace, Blossom, Katherine and Ramos occupied a fourth chopper, with Meyer handling communications.

Bryony, Celosia, Mable, and Aliana occupied a fifth chopper, with Aliana handling communications.

Amelia, Shulin, Concetta, and Sara Lee occupied a sixth chopper, with Amelia handling communications.

Lily, Alouette, Blanche, Clarice, Kazalie, and Elma occupied a seventh chopper, with Lily handling communications

Finally, Clemont, Bonnie, Miette, Aria and Korrina boarded the remaining helicopter. Clemont, as Team Coordinator, led communications.

**16:00 KDT **[04:00 AST]

"Alright! Let's prepare for takeoff!" Clemont radioed to all the other choppers.

One by one, the helicopters took off.

**Tuesday, June 18, 12:00 UDT (Unova Daylight Saving Time) **[Tuesday, June 18, 06:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Mistralton Gym, Mistralton City, Unova**

"Everyone! We'll be landing near Mistralton Gym in a few minutes!" Clemont radioed to the rest.

"Once we get to the ground, we'll get our choppers to refuel." Professor Sycamore radioed.

"Once we're in Unova, we'll combine our efforts with the people there, so let's expect more choppers, which means we should coordinate with them." Diantha radioed.

One by one, the Kalos choppers landed, unloading their cargo on one side of the hangar and landing near the other.

"That's them!" as Skyla noticed the first of the cargo disengaged.

The eight then headed over to where the helicopters landed.

"Hey, it's Clemont and Bonnie!" Cilan called out as Clemont disembarked.

"Cilan! Good to see you again." as Clemont ran to where Cilan and the group were.

The Unova and Kalos groups then engaged in conversation, waiting for donations from Kanto.

**Tuesday, June 18, 17:00 KRT (Kanto Regional Time) **[Monday, June 17, 22:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Kanto Interregional Airport, Kanto**

Back at Kanto, the group of Professor Oak, Brock, Misty, May, Max, Delia and Dawn were now waiting for their private flight to Unova.

Professor Oak then read out their game plan. The plane was to arrive at 7 PM Kanto time, and their flight would take about 6 hours. After that, they would take a truck to Mistralton City, expecting to arrive there at 1:45 PM Unova time.

**19:00 KRT **[Tuesday, June 18, 00:00 AST]

Soon enough, the plane for Unova arrived. All the goods had been loaded into the cargo hold, while the six were now comfortably seated in first-class, all by themselves.

The plane then took off for Unova.

**Tuesday, June 18, 12:12 UDT (Unova Daylight Saving Time)** [Tuesday, June 18, 06:12 AST (Alola Standard Time)]  
**Unova Interregional Airport, Nuvema Town, Unova**

Upon landing, Professor Oak, Brock, Misty, May, Max, Dawn, and Delia all helped load the cargo into the truck. The group then got themselves some lunch, boarded the truck and headed off to Mistralton City.

**13:43 UDT **[07:43 AST]  
**Mistralton Gym, Mistralton City, Unova**

Soon enough, the group arrived. "Is this the truck you were talking about?" Elesa asked. "Yep. And it's 2 minutes ahead of schedule." Skyla replied.

Everyone then disembarked from the truck.

"It's Dawn!" Iris ran towards the Kanto group as they disembarked from the truck, having recognized Dawn.

"Dawn! Brock! What brings you here?" Cilan called out, having recognized the two from his previous adventures.

"Iris! Cilan! Great to see you two again." as Dawn reunited with her Unova friends.

"Cilan! Good to see you, buddy." as Brock reunited with Cilan.

The group then exchanged introductions with each other.

**13:58 UDT **[07:58 AST]

"Whoa! That's a lot we'll have to be getting to Alola!" May gasped in shock at seeing the great number of goods they'll have to deliver.

"We've got nine choppers from Kalos, and we'll be expecting more from here." Skyla clarified to the group.

**14:00 UDT **[08:00 AST]

The donations from Roxie's benefit concert and Burgh's exhibit for a cause arrived.

After the group received the donations, they thought of starting the meeting. "Alright, we've got more than 40 people with us today." Clemont looked around as he prepared to coordinate with his fellow Electric type Gym Leader Elesa.

"So Elesa, shall we get this started?" Clemont asked.

"Alright then." Elesa responded.

"Everyone, good afternoon. For those who don't know me yet, I'm Elesa, the Nimbasa City Gym Leader. Let's just make this quick. Four choppers provided by the Unova government will be arriving here at 3 PM. We'll be loading the goods onto these choppers, and get to Alola. We'll be staying there for a while. Once we get to Alola, we can then begin distributing relief goods."

"For those who don't know me, I'm Clemont, the Lumiose City Gym Leader, and the Kalos Team Coordinator for this mission. Seeing as we're quite a lot of people, does anyone else have any choppers?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Skyla answered Clemont's question. She then led the group to her hangar, where an additional chopper was parked.

"Right, so now we've got fourteen choppers. Enough for all the goods." as Elesa and Clemont checked on the number of helicopters.

"Since we're quite a lot of people from different regions, perhaps we'll be requiring three different Team Coordinators." Cilan spoke to Clemont.

"Alright, people. Since we're quite a lot here, I'll be needing help from two others willing to be Team Coordinators, one for Unova and one for Kanto." Clemont added.

Nominations immediately began. Brock was nominated to be Kanto's Team Coordinator and Elesa was nominated to be Unova's Team Coordinator.

"It's settled then. Brock, Elesa, you'll be the Team Coordinators for Kanto and Unova, respectively."

"Right!" the two responded.

"For now, we'll just be waiting for our choppers." Elesa announced.

**15:00 UDT **[09:00 AST]

The choppers from the Unova government then arrived and the choppers from Kalos were refueled.

Twelve pallets of goods were then loaded on to the winches of each chopper.

Everyone from Kalos returned to their helicopters and those in charge of communications resumed their positions.

Cilan, Elesa, and Iris took the chopper Skyla was piloting. Unova Team Coordinator Elesa handled communications.

Professor Juniper and Bianca took one of the Unova government choppers, with Professor Juniper handling communications.

Chili and Cress took a second Unova government chopper, with Cress handling communications.

Professor Oak, Misty, and Delia took a third chopper, with Professor Oak handling communications.

May, Max, Dawn, and Brock took the remaining chopper. Brock, as Kanto Team Coordinator, was in charge of communications.

**Tuesday, June 18, 07:39 AST (Alola Standard Time)**  
**Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

"Good morning, class." as Professor Kukui woke up, seeing the rest already up but tired. "I see almost none of us had a good night's sleep that night." as he looked at Kiawe, Mallow, Lana, Harper, Sarah, Sophocles, and Gladion looking all tired.

"Good morning, everyone." as Professor Burnet woke up. "Guess it's time to make breakfast." she said as she and Mallow headed for the kitchen. They helped the hospital cooks make breakfast for the evacuees. Mallow couldn't help but notice the good stock of Yellow Nectar there.

"Breakfast is ready!" Professor Burnet and Mallow called to the evacuees. As everyone was served, Mallow decided to head over to the ICU, where Lillie and Serena were.

**07:58 AST**

"Lillie, Serena. Good morning." she said as she woke up the two, who had both fallen asleep. "Oh hey Mallow, good morning." Lillie tiredly greeted as she woke up, the two obviously not having slept well.

"Good morning, Mallow." Serena greeted. "Good morning, Ash." the three girls greeted. Serena sighed as the three girls got no response. "He still hasn't woken up." she lamented.

"Let's all have breakfast, shall we?" said Lillie, noticing she was hungry.

Mallow, Lillie, and Serena all had breakfast by Ash's bedside.

"Mmm! This stew is a crowd pleaser!" Serena complimented Mallow's cooking.

"Wish Ash was with us though." Mallow lamented Ash's condition.

The three could only sigh as they continued eating.

**08:30 AST**

As the evacuees finished having their breakfast, Mallow and Lillie proceeded to the wards while Lana proceeded to the ICU and accompanied Serena.

Lillie proceeded to her butler's ward while Mallow proceeded to her father's ward.

"Hello Hobbes. How are you?" Lillie greeted upon entering her butler's ward.

"I'm doing rather well, Miss Lillie." Hobbes replied. "You know me, Miss Lillie. No wound can stop me from being of service." he added, trying to muster up more of his strength.

"How's Master Ash?" he asked.

"He's in a coma, and hasn't woken up yet." she sadly replied.

"Oh, how tragic! For this to happen to Master Ash." as Hobbes started to tear up.

"Here's hoping he can come out of his coma." Hobbes could only hope for the best.

"Well Hobbes, I've got to see Mother. Get well soon." as Lillie left his ward to head to her mother's ward.

"Hello Mother. How are you?" Lillie greeted as she entered her mother's ward.

"I'm recovering quicker than expected." Lusamine responded. "How about Hobbes?" she asked.

"He's doing well, just taking a rest." Lillie replied.

"and Ash?" Lusamine asked.

"He's not doing as well. He fell into a coma, and he hasn't woken up yet." was Lillie's sad reply.

"Poor boy. For this to happen to him, it's just..." as Lusamine began to cry for Ash.

She then hugged her daughter, who also started to cry from both seeing her mother cry and having seen Ash in a coma.

"You know what, Lillie. I couldn't thank Ash enough for all he's done for us. When that Nihilego took over me, he and his Pikachu managed to snap me out of it. He was one of those who really supported you and helped you get over your fear of touching Pokémon." Lusamine tearfully recounted.

"I bet Lana couldn't thank him enough as well. He was injured trying to protect Lana's sisters." Lillie tearfully added.

Meanwhile, at Abe's ward: "Good morning, Daddy. How are you?" Mallow asked as she entered her father's ward.

"I'm doing great, Mallow. Just a little more rest and we can get back to work." Abe replied.

"Wish the same could be said for Ash." Mallow sadly stated.

"Your classmate got injured too?" Abe asked his daughter.

"Yes. He's in a coma right now. He hasn't woken up yet." Mallow answered, almost in tears.

"He got injured trying to save Lana's sisters." she added.

**09:20 AST**

Everyone was startled by the sound of helicopters arriving.

Professor Kukui went out to see what was going on.

He then noticed fourteen helicopters approaching Alola.

"Everyone!" he called out.

Nine of the choppers landed near the hospital, all delivering their goods to the hospital.

As for the other five helicopters, they delivered the goods to different cities and villages in Alola. The chopper piloted by Xerosic delivered their load to Hau'oli City, with Alexa, Malva, and Diantha disembarking there. The chopper which had Bryony, Celosia, Mable, and Aliana delivered to Seafolk Village on Poni Island. Viola, Grant, Wulfric, and Olympia all delivered the goods to Heahea City on Akala Island. As for Chili, Cress, Professor Juniper, and Bianca, they decided to deliver the goods to Iki Town on Melemele Island.

Everyone from Kanto, Unova, and Kalos disembarked from the nine helicopters that landed near the hospital.

Clemont, Bonnie, Miette, Shauna, Tierno, Aria and Grace all ran to Serena, with Bonnie and Grace both embracing her, Professor Oak ran to his cousin, Misty ran to Lana, and Brock ran to Kiawe.

"Serena! We're so glad you're OK." Grace, Bonnie and Clemont happily spoke for the group.

"What's with all these goods?" Samson Oak asked his cousin.

"They're for the people of Alola, of course. We had five other helicopters here, but they decided to go ahead start off with the other cities." Samuel Oak responded.

"Come in, everyone!" Professor Kukui invited everyone into the evacuation center.

Everyone entered the hospital and evacuation center.

As everyone entered, they all exchanged introductions and became fast friends. This was especially true with Clemont and Sophocles, Cilan and Mallow, Dawn, May, Serena, Lillie and the rest of the performers, and Max, Harper, Sarah, Mimo and Bonnie.

All were amazed at the Rotom Pokédex, which was a Pokédex that could talk by itself.

The sight of Max, Harper, Sarah, Mimo and Bonnie fazed Brock as he lamented "Even Max is doing better than I am when getting the girls." Unlike the days of old, instead of Misty or Max dragging him off by the ear, Olivia lifted him away from the scene.

**09:40 AST**

While this was happening, Professor Oak and Delia entered the ICU, being the first ones after Lana and Serena to visit Ash for the day.

Delia had to be comforted by Professor Oak as she cried upon seeing her son in such a state.

Everyone but the two decided to head out into the various places in Alola to donate their relief goods to the people.

The Performers sans Serena decided to perform a Showcase for the people's entertainment and the Coordinators also performed to entertain the people.

**10:50 AST**

As they returned, some of those who just came to Alola decided to visit Ash in the ICU.

Brock was the first of the group that just returned to visit Ash. He recalled his time travelling with Ash across four regions.

"Get well soon, brother." Brock said the bare minimum as he left Ash's side, before shedding a few tears.

**11:05 AST**

Misty was up next. She recalled various times she had with Ash, from her initial anger towards him due to accidentally destroying her bicycle, travelling with him just to ask for payments, meeting him again in Hoenn, and the time when Ash and his Alolan friends first met her, and the first time she and Brock visited Alola.

"Get well soon, Ash." Misty tearfully said.

**11:11 AST**

As Misty left Ash's side, Cilan entered the ICU. He remembered his trip throughout Unova with Ash and Iris.

"Get well soon." Cilan said as he left Ash's bedside.

**11:18 AST**

Iris entered. She then remembered good times travelling with Ash, even remembering all the times she called him a kid. "Oh Ash... y-you're not such a kid after all. Get well soon." as Iris began to cry. As she left in tears, May and Max entered the ICU.

**11:25 AST**

May began to recall the times she had travelled with Ash, especially him helping her realize her goal of being a Coordinator. Max then remembered his first meeting with Ash, and the time they travelled throughout Hoenn.

"Ash... please w-wake up. We're right here, waiting for you." May could only say as she started crying.

**11:36 AST**

The two left Ash's bedside as Valerie entered.

"Ash, my friend. Get well soon." as a tearful Valerie held Ash's shoulders.

**11:39 AST**

Korrina entered after Valerie. Though her time travelling with Ash was less compared to the others, she could still remember those times vividly.

"Get well soon, Ash." a tearful Korrina said before leaving.

**11:45 AST**

Following that were Alain and Mairin. "Get well soon, idol." Alain said as he shed tears. "You've been a hero to many." Mairin tearfully added to her friend's statement.

**11:50 AST**

After Alain and Mairin left Ash's bedside, Shauna, Tierno, Nini, Sawyer and Trevor followed in. The five remembered their time together with Ash and the group. "Get well soon, Ash." Shauna tearfully said before leaving along with the rest.

**12:00 AST**

Aria entered after the group. "Ash, you've been a really good friend to Serena. I can't thank you enough for helping her grow into a strong Trainer. She doesn't need to be looking for somebody with some superhuman gifts. Just someone she can t-turn to, somebody she can miss. That someone is you, Ash. Get well soon, dear friend." Aria tearfully said as she gently stroked his forehead, taking notice of the bandages there.

**12:10 AST**

Clemont, Miette and Bonnie entered after Aria.

Clemont began to reminisce about the time he spent with Ash in Kalos, especially the Lumiose City Gym Battle. Bonnie, too, reminisced about the time she spent with Ash travelling throughout Kalos. As for Miette, she remembered all those times she had teased Ash and Serena, and all those times she flirted with the former.

"Ash, I'll admit, Serena needs your love, your time. When everything goes wrong for her, make it right, Ash. She's feeling hopeless here, her eyes are f-filled with fear. F-Fear of you dying, that is. Hold her in your arms again. She's really dying inside to hold you." Miette tearfully said as she held his hand. Clemont could only stare at her in awe.

"Get well soon, brother." Clemont could only say as he, Miette, and Bonnie were all in tears.

**12:24 AST**

After the three left, Dawn entered. Dawn began to look back to the time where she first met Ash, and her travelling with him throughout the Sinnoh region. She had savored every moment when she and Ash would high-five.

"Ash... I've been your cheerleader, I've always been r-right there when you needed me." Dawn tearfully reflected on those moments as she held his hand.

Dawn then left the ICU.

**12:35 AST**

Bianca then visited Ash in the ICU, being very careful. Miraculously, she did not trip or knock anyone into a nearby body of water, not that there was any to begin with.

Bianca simply gave a sigh as she reminisced all the times she'd accidentally get Ash wet after bumping into the group. "Get well soon, Ash." Bianca said as she began to cry. She then left the ICU.

Meanwhile, at where the evacuees were, Brock, Mallow, and Cilan all helped out in the cooking for the evacuees' lunch. Everyone then had lunch in their respective areas.

At the ICU, Pikachu finally noticed a slight twitching motion from Ash's hand which Miette and Dawn held earlier, as if moving to release the hand holding it. "(Is he waking up?)" Pikachu squeaked.

* * *

_**Footnotes for Chapter 10**_

_May, Aria, Miette, and Dawn respectively reference "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx, "Something Just Like This" by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay, "I Need Your Love" by Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding and "(Dying Inside) To Hold You" by Timmy Thomas, and "Cheerleader" by OMI._


	11. Tapu Koko's Appeal

**Chapter 11: Tapu Koko's Appeal**

* * *

**Tuesday, June 18, 12:26 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

Just as Clemont, Bonnie, and Miette left Ash's bedside, Bonnie unknowingly bumped into Max.

"Whoa!" Max screamed out as he fell onto his backside with a thud. When both children opened their eyes, Max was shocked to see he was supporting Bonnie with his arms. Both were blushing intensely at what was happening.

"Thanks, Max." Bonnie giggled as she stood, blushing.

"No problem, b-but please watch where you're going!" an embarrassed Max replied.

Luckily for the two, only Clemont, Miette, and May saw them.

"Hey Clemont, perhaps you'll really need someone to take care of you now. Your little sister seems to have beaten you to it." Miette teased. Clemont nervously chuckled in reply.

**13:25 AST**

As the evacuees finished having lunch, everyone decided to entertain themselves in various ways. Max, Harper, Sarah, and Bonnie all decided to watch TV.

The TV was broadcasting The Refreshing Trio: Alola Idols. Serena, Dawn, Gladion, May and Clemont decided to join the four in watching, seeing as they were getting bored as well.

"Hey, that's big sister Lana! And big sister Mallow and big sister Lillie too!" Harper and Sarah declared to Max, Bonnie, Serena, Dawn, Gladion, May and Clemont.

"Wow! I didn't know those three were famous on TV." Serena, Dawn and May reacted in awe.

"That's my little sister, alright!" as Gladion proudly recognized his sister on TV.

Lana, Mallow and Lillie joined them, and noticed themselves on TV.

"Hey, it's that TV show we starred in." as Mallow recognized.

The three proceeded to reenact their transformation sequence and finishing pose.

"Whoa! So cool!" everyone else reacted. "Thanks, guys." the three thanked after their performance was complimented.

Just as the show finished, they then decided to view different videos and movies with the DVD player there.

**13:30 AST**

They then began viewing the different Showcases from Kalos. Misty, Iris, Cilan, and everyone else piled up behind the seat.

"That's Serena for you." Clemont, Miette and Aria complimented in unison.

"Whoa! Big sister Serena is so cool!" Harper and Sarah reacted.

"Wish Ash were here to see all of us though." Dawn lamented the fact that Ash still hadn't woken up.

"He'll wake up eventually. He never gives up until the end." Serena comforted Dawn.

They then continued viewing various videos of the rest and various movies.

**14:55 AST**

Serena, Mallow, and Miette then decided to make snacks for the group. The three baked various desserts, including malasadas, cakes, and cookies.

"Wow, Miette. You sure are handy in the kitchen." Mallow complimented Miette. "Thanks, Mallow." Miette giggled in reply.

Everyone then snacked on the desserts, complimenting the three girls for their efforts.

**17:00 AST**

As everyone remained at the evacuation center, they then decided who would be staying by Ash's bedside alongside Serena for the night. This time, they decided Lana would be by his bedside.

Lana accepted the offer, leaving Harper and Sarah with May and Clemont for the meantime.

Tapu Koko, the Melemele Island Guardian Deity who had visited Ash and comforted Serena and Lillie, flew over the hospital and evacuation center. "(My chosen one! I shall have to get to Tapu Lele immediately!)" as he remembered his words to Serena and Lillie.

**18:00 AST  
****Ruins of Life, Akala Island, Alola**

"(Tapu Lele?! Tapu Lele?! Where are you?)" said Tapu Koko as he searched the ruins for Tapu Lele.

"(Sheesh! Where has she gone off to this time?)" he fumed as Tapu Lele was nowhere to be found.

**23:48 AST**

"(Tapu Lele! There you are! What took you so long?)" as Tapu Koko noticed Tapu Lele arriving at the ruins she resided at.

"(I've also been checking to see how things were doing at Melemele)" Tapu Lele responded.

"(Well, good! I have been waiting for you. You see, I have a request.)" as Tapu Koko made his request.

"(Oh? A request?)" Tapu Lele was puzzled at her fellow Tapu's words.

"(My chosen one, Ash Ketchum, was injured by the earthquake yesterday. We cannot afford to have him die. Alola shall mourn for him if he dies.)" as Tapu Koko clarified his reasons.

"(So?)" Tapu Lele asked.

"(I visited the hospital last night and saw your chosen one and another girl watching over him. Your chosen one was crying as I went in. She seemed afraid of what is to come if he were to die. Please, heal him with your scales.)" Tapu Koko continued.

"(Poor thing. I shall go and heal him then.)" as Tapu Lele flew off.

**Wednesday, June 19, 00:22 AST  
****Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

Just as everyone was sleeping, Tapu Lele flew into the hospital. This managed to wake up Lillie, Mallow, Harper, Sarah, Clemont, May, Max, Bonnie, Gladion, and Kiawe. "Whoa, Tapu Lele's here." Kiawe reacted.

"Who's Tapu Lele?" Clemont, May and Max asked.

"Tapu Lele, the Land Spirit Pokémon. A Psychic and Fairy type. Tapu Lele playfully flutters around while scattering its mysteriously glowing scales. It's said whoever touches its scales is instantly healed." Rotom replied.

As Tapu Lele flew into the ICU, she noticed Serena and Lana both having trouble sleeping, with the former still in tears over Ash being unconscious. She then got to the two girls.

"(Oh no! This was worse than Tapu Koko had described! Alola shall really mourn for him if he dies.)" Tapu Lele reacted in shock as she looked at Ash's wounded body.

"(My chosen one! Don't cry, for I shall heal your friend.)" as Tapu Lele noticed Serena still saddened about Ash's tragedy and proceeded to comfort her.

"(My scales can heal all wounds.)" as she proceeded to sprinkle her scales on Ash and remove his bandages.

Tapu Lele then proceeded to use Draining Kiss on both Serena and Lana. She briefly left the ICU in order to use Draining Kiss on the rest. She transferred the energy she drained into Ash, trying to get him to gain consciousness.

Miraculously, Ash was healed of his skull fracture and all of his wounds, but the energy was not enough to make Ash regain consciousness.

"(Well, that's all I could do. Sorry if I had to use Draining Kiss only to not make him regain his consciousness.)" as Tapu Lele tried to comfort the two girls after seeing Ash healed of his wounds but still unconscious.

Tapu Lele then left the hospital.

**05:03 AST**

Tapu Koko then flew into the ICU again to check if Tapu Lele has healed him.

He was moderately satisfied with the outcome as he saw Ash no longer having any bandages around him, but still unconscious.

"(Guess her powers were not enough to get him to wake up)" Tapu Koko commented.

"(We may just have to wait to see if he wakes up.)" Tapu Koko added.

He then left the hospital before he could be noticed by anyone.

**07:24 AST**

"Good morning, Serena, Lana." Mallow and Lillie greeted as they entered the ICU, serving breakfast. "He still has not woken up yet, huh?" Lillie lamented. "Tapu Lele really healed him last night." as Mallow saw that Ash was no longer bandaged up.

"This could be because Tapu Koko asked her to. You know how much he cares for Ash." Lillie replied to Mallow's comment, remembering Tapu Koko having entered the ICU a night before Tapu Lele did so, and Tapu Koko comforting both her and Serena.

"Had a good sleep last night?" Mallow asked the two.

"No, not until Tapu Lele used Draining Kiss." Lana responded.

"Oh yeah. She used Draining Kiss on both of us to try and wake Ash up. Did you have a good sleep last night?" Serena added. "Neither did we, until Tapu Lele used Draining Kiss on the rest of us." Mallow responded.

"Safe to say, that did not work." Lillie commented as she looked at Ash still unconscious.

"Here's hoping it will, soon." Serena could only hope for the best.

It was yet another day for the people at the evacuation center to wait for those injured to be discharged. Luckily for Lillie, Gladion, and Mallow, Lusamine, Hobbes, and Abe were discharged later that day. The three later joined the rest at the evacuation center.


	12. Welcome Back!

**Chapter 12: Welcome Back!**

* * *

**Monday, June 24, 13:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

A week had already passed since the earthquake struck, and Ash still hasn't woken up from his coma.

All who decided to go to Alola decided to remain behind on the island.

Everyone was now waiting for Ash to wake up, after having Serena, Lana, Mallow, Lillie, Misty, May, Dawn, Iris, Bianca, and some of the Performers all watch over him for each night that passed.

**15:22 AST**

In the ICU, Pikachu, Rotom, Lana, Harper, Sarah, Mallow, Lillie, and Serena were all with Ash when Serena began to notice Ash's hand moving.

"Did you just see that?" Serena asked the rest. "I don't think so" the rest responded.

More movement then came from Ash. As Ash opened his eyes, he noticed himself surrounded by Pikachu, Rotom, Serena, Lana, Lillie, Mallow, Harper, and Sarah.

"Hey guys." Ash weakly said. "What happened? Where am I?" as Ash looked around, noticing himself hooked to machines and everyone else in tears of joy.

"Welcome back, Ash!" as all were in tears of joy, relieved at seeing Ash gain consciousness.

"The earthquake knocked you out, Ash. Lucky for you, Serena managed to call emergency services." Lana answered his question.

"Big brother! Welcome back!" as Harper and Sarah embraced him.

"Ash! You could have gotten yourself killed in that earthquake! I couldn't even imagine what would happen if you had d-died!" Lana tearfully shouted, seemingly furious over Ash's recklessness, as she punched and cried into his chest. This caused Harper and Sarah to let go of Ash for a while.

"She's right, Ash! I... I don't want to lose you forever!" Serena added as she too began to cry into his chest.

"Whoa, Lana, Serena, calm down! Harper, Sarah, Pikachu and Rotom would all have been killed instead if I had not protected them." as Ash tried to calm the two girls, locking them in an embrace.

"We knew that, Ash. T-thank you for s-saving my sisters, even though you had to s-sacrifice your own safety." Lana tearfully thanked him as she began to calm down a little.

"Oh Ash..." Serena calmed a bit as well as Harper and Sarah joined the three in an embrace.

"I'm so glad you're back" as Lillie joined the four girls in embracing Ash.

"We were so worried..." Mallow added as she embraced Ash.

All six girls' tears stained Ash's hospital gown once more.

Pikachu and Rotom immediately got out of the ICU to notify the others.

Immediately, everyone entered the ICU.

"Mom? Professor Oak? Kiawe? Sophocles? Clemont and Bonnie? Miette? Shauna, Trevor and Tierno? Aria? Iris? Cilan? May and Max? Dawn? Misty? Brock? Everyone?" as Ash noticed the rest entering the ICU, his voice becoming stronger with each recognition. Delia ran faster than the others to head to her son's bedside.

"Oh Ash, I was so worried..." Delia tearfully embraced her son. "Your mom's right, Ash. Everyone was worried that you wouldn't come out of your coma." Brock added. "Ma'am, I'm glad to say, he was a hero when the earthquake happened. Just as my sisters were about to get hit by falling objects, he protected them." as Lana told Ash's mother the story of what had happened during the earthquake.

"You know what, Ash? You've been everyone's hero. You've fought for good, defeated the region's villainous teams, helped out anyone whenever, wherever you could." Shauna declared.

"You might want to get some rest, though." Professor Oak added, wanting him to get Ash back into his best condition as soon as possible.

"I agree with Professor Oak." Professor Kukui agreed. "If you get some rest, you'll be back to being a strong Trainer in no time." he added.

"Have a good rest, Ash." Sophocles said as everyone but a few left the ICU. Those who did not leave the ICU were Serena, Lillie, Mallow, and Lana.

The four girls all watched over Ash as he drifted off to sleep.

"He looks so peaceful when he sleeps." Lillie whispered.

"I agree." Serena whispered.

Lillie, Mallow, and Lana all left the ICU, but Serena stayed behind for a while. As he slept, she took the opportunity to kiss him on the lips again. As she let go and left the ICU, she looked at Ash sleeping more peacefully than ever before.

**18:00 AST**

Mallow, Brock, Cilan, Professor Burnet, Serena, Clemont, and Miette all began to cook dinner, including for Ash.

**18:36 AST**

As everyone was served dinner, Delia, Serena, Professor Kukui, Mallow, Lillie, Lana, Kiawe, and Sophocles all headed to the ICU.

As the group entered the ICU, Delia handed Ash his plate. Ash was now in his usual awe at the good food that was being cooked. His awe increased as he savored every bite. Everyone was happy to see Ash eating at his usual fast pace again.

Despite him miraculously recovering very quickly, he would not be discharged that day. They still had to wait for the doctors to give the OK signal.

**22:11 AST**

As everyone prepared for their eighth night at the evacuation center, they then decided to have Serena and Lillie watch over Ash for the night.

"Good night, Ash." both girls said. "Good night, Serena, Lillie." Ash replied.

This was now the first night where everyone had a peaceful sleep.

**Tuesday, June 25, 07:35 AST**

"Good morning, Ash, Serena, Lillie." as Mallow entered the ICU bringing what she, Clemont, Brock, and Cilan all cooked for breakfast.

"Good morning, Mallow." Ash first responded as he sat up, his voice now strong as it was before. Mallow teared up slightly at that.

"How long has it been?" a confused Ash asked Mallow, seeing her reaction.

"A whole w-week, A-Ash." she replied, embracing him and crying on his shoulder. Ash then proceeded to comfort Mallow by placing his arm on her back.

Luckily for the two, Lillie and Serena were still asleep.

As Mallow wiped away her tears, she let go of Ash.

Lillie and Serena then woke up, having had a good night's rest.

"Good morning, Mallow." as the two woke up.

The four then had breakfast together in the ICU.

**08:01 AST**

Ash was later transferred to the ward Lusamine occupied before she was discharged.

As he was transferred into the ward, Lana, Harper and Sarah went in.

"Hey, Lana, Harper, Sarah. Good to see you." as Ash noticed the three entering his ward, his voice as strong as it was before.

"Big brother! We're so glad you're feeling better!" as Harper and Sarah tearfully ran to him, with Ash embracing the two in response.

"Ash..." Lana couldn't say anything as her guilt of what had happened yesterday and a week before that overcame her and she began to cry on Ash's shoulder. Ash proceeded to wrap his arm around Lana to comfort her.

"Don't worry, Lana. I know you're still feeling guilty for what happened last week and yesterday, but nothing shows love more than sacrificing yourself for a friend. What's important is that I'm right here with you now." as he comforted her.

This made Lana cry even more, though a smile now formed across her face.

As Lana got off Ash and wiped her tears, the four then proceeded to watch television to pass the time. On television right now was a fishing show.

All of Ash's classmates from the Pokémon School and Serena entered his ward after them, but Harper and Sarah left the ward to join Bonnie, Max and Mimo.

The seven were soon engaged in conversation, just like old times.

"Which reminds me. When Professor Oak and the rest left the ICU and I got to sleep yesterday, what was that pleasant feeling, and why do my lips, cheeks and forehead feel warm?" Ash asked the group.

The group fell into an awkward silence as Ash continued, "You know, that pleasant feeling of a kiss from someone special."

Ash and the girls were all blushing while Kiawe and Sophocles just looked at them with confused expressions.

"Serena wasn't with us when we left the ICU, was she?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah, so that means..." Lana agreed.

"You're a special someone to Ash?" Mallow asked.

"Hey, hey, hey, guys. It's fine. This wasn't the first time she kissed me." as Ash sensed tension rising.

"Remember, back at Lumiose Airport?" as he turned to Serena.

"He's right. I'm so sorry for hiding this from you." as Serena guiltily lowered her head.

"No need to feel guilty, Serena. After all, looks like Ash did need a special someone." Sophocles attempted to cheer her up; to no avail.

"I really didn't imagine Ash having already been kissed by a girl and all that." Kiawe commented, barely able to contain his laughter.

"You see, the first time we met, when I got lost in a forest back in Kanto, he was the one who found me. He was the first boy to ever hold my hand." Serena explained.

"It's alright Serena, it seems we're not the only ones who kissed Ash." Lillie replied.

"So, uh, who kissed me where?" Ash asked, blushing.

"I, uh, kissed you on the forehead" Lillie admitted, blushing. "I had your right cheek." Mallow also blushed as she admitted, "Your left cheek, Ash." Lana admitted, also blushing. "Ash, as I always do, on the lips." Serena admitted, being the reddest of the group.

"OK, uh, thanks for the gifts, ladies." Ash blushed as he thanked them.

This got Lillie, Mallow, and Lana to all admit how they felt about Ash.

"Psst, Rotom. Get this on video, please." Sophocles whispered to Rotom just as the four girls got around Ash and all confessed.

"Yep, that's Ash for you. Knows how to get the ladies." as Professor Kukui viewed the video on Rotom.

**11:52 AST**

The television then sent out a newscast. "After the magnitude 9.2 earthquake one week ago, a new island has popped up in Alola..." as Anna, the news reporter, reported the presence of a new island.

"Those who found this island decided for it to be named Polu Island." she continued.

Everyone who saw the news was in shock at a new island in Alola appearing.

"Let's go there soon, guys." Ash declared excitedly.


	13. Polu Island

**Chapter 13: Polu Island**

* * *

**Wednesday, June 26, 08:00 AST (Alola Standard Time)  
****Melemele Hospital and Evacuation Center, Melemele Island, Alola**

All of those who had come to Alola except Serena all headed to Ash's ward to check on him. They were about to head back to each of their home regions.

"Ash, good news! In a few hours, the doctors will give the go signal to discharge you from the hospital." Delia said to her son.

"That's great, mom." Ash replied.

"Ash, we'll be heading back home now. Stay strong, bro!" Clemont said, indicating they were to go back to their home regions.

"Thanks for coming here! Have a safe trip!" Ash said as he dismissed the group.

Soon enough, the group left for their home regions and Ash was discharged.

**13:00 AST  
****Professor Kukui's House, Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

"So good to be back home." Ash said as he got back to Professor Kukui's house along with Serena, Professor Kukui, and Professor Burnet.

Ash then decided to get some rest first, as everyone from the class had planned to head to the new Polu Island by Friday.

**Friday, June 28, 07:00 AST  
****Professor Kukui's House, Route 1, Melemele Island, Alola**

After everyone had two long days of rest, it was time for Professor Kukui and the class to explore Polu Island.

**08:10 AST  
****Coast of Melemele Island, Alola**

Ash, Serena, Professor Kukui, Lillie, Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, and Sophocles all met at the beach near Professor Kukui's house as they waited for their boat to Polu Island.

**08:30 AST**

The boat then arrived, and all got in. As they left for Polu Island, speculations about the island went on.

"Polu Island should still be uninhabited, as it is a new island." said Professor Kukui.

**09:00 AST  
****Polu Island, Alola**

The boat stopped near a rock formation. As everyone set foot on the island, they were surprised to see the island having a snow capped mountain and a lot of rivers and lakes. A waterfall was even present at the other side of the mountain. It had more water forms than the other islands.

"Wow! Polu Island is amazing!" Lillie observed in awe as she took out her camera and took pictures of the surroundings.

The class then took a tour around the island, but there were no Pokémon present in the lakes and rivers.

"Man! I was really expecting some wild Pokémon to show up." Ash said, disappointed at not even seeing a Pyukumuku or a Bruxish underwater.

Just then, Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini showed up in front of the group.

"It's Tapu Koko!" Mallow exclaimed.

"Tapu Lele too" Lillie added.

"Tapu Bulu as well" Sophocles added.

"and Tapu Fini too" Kiawe reacted.

"What brings you here?" Lana asked the Tapu.

"(We have decided, this island shall be Alola's fifth official island. This shall be as inhabited as Melemele, Akala, Ula'ula, and Poni Islands.)" Tapu Koko answered.

"So, from what you're saying, you've decided to make this as the fifth island? OK." as Ash interpreted Tapu Koko's words.

"(This island shall bring forth life and abundance.)" Tapu Lele and Tapu Bulu declared.

"(We shall instate a Kahuna on this island after we have finished bringing forth life.)" Tapu Fini declared.

Tapu Lele then brought forth all sorts of Pokémon, while Tapu Bulu allowed grass and trees to grow from the rich ground. Tapu Koko then took some of the trees, turned them into wood, and built a few buildings on the island, including a few on the mountain. Tapu Fini then prepared an altar on the top of the mountain. This was to be called the Ruins of Victory. It would be said to be where life begins its second journey.

The group then took the opportunity to explore the forests, seeing all sorts of Pokémon and all sorts of buildings nearby.

**09:30 AST  
****Ruins of Victory, Polu Island, Alola**

Everyone then ascended the mountain to get to the Ruins of Victory and explore it.

The four Tapu then circled around Ash.

"(Together, we shall declare him the first Island Kahuna of Polu Island.)" all four Tapu declared in unison.

"Did the Tapu just declare Ash the first Island Kahuna on this island?" Kiawe asked.

"I think so, Kiawe." Professor Kukui agreed.

The four Tapu then left and told the others that Ash was now the Island Kahuna of Polu Island.

Rotom took the opportunity to take pictures of what was happening.

"That's great, Ash!" everyone cheered for him.

"Every island's got to have trials, right?" Serena asked.

"That's right, Serena." Professor Kukui replied. "They can either be supervised by Trial Captains, or not. It has been rare, though, for Trial Captains to supervise." he added.

"Perhaps I can improve my battling by being a Trial Captain." Serena suggested. "Great idea, Serena!" Lillie chimed. "I want to improve my battling skills too!" she added. "I want to improve my Z-Moves too!" Mallow added. "We all want to improve here!" Lana declared.

"So, it's settled, you're all going to be Trial Captains?" the newly-crowned Island Kahuna Ash asked the rest.

"Yep." they all agreed.

"We've gotta set a few rules, though." Professor Kukui reminded them.

"Let's make it a lot more different from all the other islands. Trainers will have to defeat all six Trial Captains before battling me." Ash suggested.

"How about we each take a different area?" Sophocles stated.

"Sounds great!" Ash agreed with Sophocles' suggestion.

"I'll be taking the nearby valley." Sophocles stated.

"There's hot springs around here, so perhaps it's just perfect for me." Kiawe chimed.

"Better practice my Z-Moves in the forest." Mallow stated.

"The lake's a good spot to meet a few Water types," said Lana.

"Snowy's an Ice type, so I'll be near the peak of the mountain." suggested Lillie.

"The top of the waterfall's a really good spot." Serena suggested.

"So, places are settled, but who's battling first?" Ash asked.

"Perhaps we can have Sophocles as the first battle, Kiawe second, Lana third, Mallow fourth, Lillie fifth, and Serena the last battle before you." Professor Kukui suggested.

"Great idea, Professor." all agreed. "Alright, let's continue the tour." Professor Kukui said.

As they descended the mountain, they continued their tour around Polu Island and saw that there were different structures built near where they proposed the trials to be held.

Professor Kukui then left for home after a call, so the group continued the tour without him.

Unexpectedly, a Greninja appeared before Ash and the group. Ash and Serena immediately recognized the Greninja as Ash's, while Lana awed its unique appearance.

"Greninja, the Ninja Pokémon, a Water and Dark type. Greninja's swift movements confound its opponents, and it can compress water into sharp-edged throwing stars. With the grace of a ninja, it slips in and out of sight to attack from the shadows." Rotom reported.

"It looks kind of different from the Greninja Rotom just showed us." Lana stated. "Unlike other Greninja, Ash's strong bond with Greninja causes him to take on a different form known as Ash-Greninja." Serena explained.

Lana got quite excited at seeing Ash's Greninja, especially in its Ash-Greninja form. "It kind of looks like you, Ash." Lana quipped.

"That's one reason why it's called Ash-Greninja." Ash replied.

Just as Greninja rejoined Ash's team, they all began training together, especially with regards to their Z-Moves.

**21:00 AST  
****Coastline, Polu Island, Alola**

After an entire day of touring and training their Pokémon, especially training to use Z-Moves, they decided to head off to the coastline.

They noticed a park bench had been built there. Everyone was tired from training, so all headed to the park bench, with Ash getting there first, Serena and Lillie following suit, then Mallow and Lana, and finally Kiawe and Sophocles. The bench was wide enough to fit five people, so Ash positioned himself in the middle, with Serena and Lana to his right, and Lillie and Mallow to his left.

Just as they looked at the stars above them, one-by-one, Ash and the girls drifted off to sleep, with Lillie and Serena resting their heads on Ash's shoulders while Mallow and Lana made themselves comfortable on Ash's lap. Ash had his arms spread out, seemingly to embrace all four girls.

"Psst, Rotom, this is a good opportunity." Kiawe whispered to Rotom.

Rotom took a picture of Ash and the girls on the bench while Kiawe and Sophocles stood beside them.

A beautiful view of the stars was over the group on Polu Island as they drifted off to sleep, a new day awaiting them.

* * *

_**Footnotes for Chapter 13**_

_Polu means "blue" in Hawaiian._


End file.
